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Tave Kosi 🐑 Albanian Yogurt-Baked Lamb 🇦🇱 (Tave Kosi)

5.0 / 5 0
Main Dishes Balkan Oct 14, 2025 31
Site avg: 4.5 / 5 Total votes: 11

Description

Seared lamb baked under a tangy yogurt–egg custard with a whisper of mint—golden top, spoon-tender meat, and buttery rice at the bottom. 🍋🫶

Hook: Sear, whisk, and bake—silky, no-curdle yogurt casserole in about an hour. ⚡

Ingredients

  • 🥘 Lamb & Rice
  • 🐑 Lamb shoulder/leg, boneless chunks: 800 g (≈1.8 lb)
  • 🧂 Salt: to taste (≈10 g / 1¾ tsp)
  • ⚫ Black pepper: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
  • 🧈 Butter (or ghee), for searing: 30 g (2 tbsp / 1.1 oz)
  • 🫒 Olive oil: 15 ml (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
  • 🧄 Garlic, minced: 9 g (3 cloves / 0.32 oz)
  • 🌾 White rice, rinsed: 60 g (⅓ cup / 2.1 oz)
  • 💧 Water or light stock: 300 ml (1¼ cups / 10 fl oz)
  • 🥣 Yogurt Custard
  • 🥛 Plain whole-milk yogurt: 700 g (3 cups / 24.7 oz)
  • 🥚 Eggs: 3 large (≈150 g / 5.3 oz)
  • 🌿 Dried mint (classic): 1 g (1 tsp / 0.04 oz)
  • 🌾 All-purpose flour (stabilizes): 30 g (¼ cup / 1.1 oz)
  • 🧂 Salt: 3 g (½ tsp / 0.11 oz)
  • 🫒 Olive oil (drizzle on top): 15 ml (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)

Preparation

  • 1️⃣ Sear lamb: Heat 🧈 butter + 🫒 oil in a skillet. Season 🐑 lamb with 🧂 and ⚫; sear 6–8 min until browned. Stir in 🧄 garlic 30 sec.
  • 2️⃣ Par-cook rice: Add 🌾 rice and toast 1 min in the lamb fat. Pour in 💧 water/stock; simmer 5 min (rice half-cooked). Scrape into a 25–28 cm / 10–11 in baking dish.
  • 3️⃣ Make custard: Whisk 🥚 eggs with 🌾 flour until smooth; whisk in 🥛 yogurt, 🌿 mint, and 🧂 salt.
  • 4️⃣ Combine: Nestle the seared lamb into the rice. Pour the yogurt custard all over; tap the dish to level. Drizzle the top with 🫒 oil.
  • 5️⃣ Bake: Cook at 190°C / 375°F 30–35 min until puffed and deep golden with a slight wobble. Rest 10 min before serving.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 20 min
🔥 Cook: 40–45 min
⏳ Total: ~1 h

Nutritional Value

🔋 Energy: ~560 kcal
💪 Protein: ~38 g
🧈 Fat: ~33 g
🍞 Carbohydrates: ~26 g
🧂 Sodium: ~820 mg

Advice

Whisk flour into the eggs before adding yogurt—this prevents lumps and helps the custard set without curdling. A 10-minute rest keeps the juices inside.

Why it works

Eggs and a little flour stabilize tangy yogurt into a tender custard; par-cooked rice absorbs lamb juices, so every spoonful is saucy but not wet.

Twist

Use chicken thighs instead of lamb for a lighter bake; or make a vegetarian pan with roasted cauliflower + mushrooms (keep the same custard).

Status

Village comfort with a golden cap—Albanian tavë kosi that melts and brightens in every bite. #grannyzen #albaniancuisine 🐑🍋

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