Assalamu Alaykum, this is one of my favourite dishes, I once had really lovely kibbeh at a friends home in Beirut, it was similar to this but was a Syrian Halabi Recipe.
Kibbeh! (national dish of lebanese)
[img=left]http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m197/turntoislam/recipes/kibbeh/kibbe-14.jpg[/img]
Kibbeh is the national dish of Lebanon. The basic Kibbeh is made with minced lamb, mutton or beef mixed with spices, minced onion and burghul. It can be eaten raw, fried, baked, or grilled. Another type of Kibbeh is Potato Kibbeh which uses boiled mashed potatoes (instead of meat) and adds fresh mint to the mix as well. Below, I provide recipes for two of the most common Kibbeh preparations - the Fried (which many of you will recognize) and the baked.
Kibbeh
• 1 cup fine burghul
• 1 meduim onion, peeled
• 1lb (450g) ground beef or lamb
• 2 tsp Salt
Put the burghul in a large bowl and cover it with cold water. Let it soak for about 30 minutes then drain in a strainer while pressing down to remove as much water as possible. Return to the bowl.
Cut the onion into quarters and puree in the food processor.
Add the onion, beef (or lamb) and salt to the burghul and knead the mixture with your hands till smooth. If it becomes too sticky, add a little ice cold water till it gets smooth.
NOTE: For Raw Kibbeh cut the burghul amount by half and add 1tsp of ground Cumin to the mixture when you add the salt.
Fried Stuffed Kibbeh
Makes about 20 pieces
• 1 Recipe Kibbeh
• 2 cups meat Stuffing
• 1 small bowl of water with ice cubes in it
• Oil for frying
Making these stuffed torpedo shaped pies takes some practice and the first few you make will probably look odd or fall apart. Keep trying, and once you get the hang of it, it will become quite easy. Here are the steps to making a perfect fried Kibbeh.
Make the shell by forming a piece of the Kibbeh into a small ball, the size of a golf ball. Rub your hands with a little ice water if the ball becomes sticky while you are rolling it between your palms.
Using an index finger and holding the ball in your other hand, make a tunnel in the ball. This is where the stuffing will go. Rotate the ball while “digging” the tunnel to make it an even thickness. The trick is to get the shell as thin as possible without breaking it. You should end up with a hollow, cone-shaped shell.
Spoon about 2 tsp of the meat filling into the prepared shell, leaving enough room to close it.
Using both hands gently close and seal the shell over the filling and, using the ice cold water as lubricant, form it into a football shaped pie.
Heat about 2 inches (5cm) of oil in a deep pot to 375F (190C). Fry the Kibbeh a few at a time until they are deep brown on all sides. Drain and serve with “Yogurt Tahini Sauce”, “Cucumber Yogurt Salad” or “Tomato Salad"
Baked Stuffed Kibbeh
Makes one pie, about 4-6 servings
• 1 Recipe Kibbeh
• 2 cups Meat Stuffing
• 1 small bowl of water with ice cubes in it
• ¼ cup Samen (or melted butter).
Preheat your oven to 375F (190C). Prepare a baking dish or pie pan by rubbing the insides with a tablespoon of the Samen.
Build the first layer of Kibbeh. The easiest way to do this is by building it in patches. Pat a piece of the Kibbeh between your palms until 1/8 - 1/4inch (3 - 6 mm) thick (depends how thick you like it). Lay the Kibbeh disc in the prepared pan. Keep doing this, placing the discs next to each other till you cover the bottom. You will have several “holes” which you need to patch with small Kibbeh pieces. Wet your hands with ice water and smooth the first layer till it looks uniform and with no holes.
Put your stuffing all over the first layer of Kibbeh, then top it off with another layer of Kibbeh using the same technique you used to build the first one. Close all the holes and smooth it out.
Using a sharp knife cut the unbaked stuffed Kibbeh into wedges and make a small hole in the center where the cuts cross. Drizzle the remaining Samen (or Butter) all over and make sure it goes into the cuts and the hole in the center. This will give it a beautiful color and amazing flavor.
Put the stuffed Kibbeh in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until it is nice and golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and serve the slices with “Cucumber Yogurt Salad”.
Fried Kibbeh, Baked Kibbeh with Tahini Yogurt
Sauce and a salad
Kibbeh! (national dish of lebanese)
[img=left]http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m197/turntoislam/recipes/kibbeh/kibbe-14.jpg[/img]
Kibbeh is the national dish of Lebanon. The basic Kibbeh is made with minced lamb, mutton or beef mixed with spices, minced onion and burghul. It can be eaten raw, fried, baked, or grilled. Another type of Kibbeh is Potato Kibbeh which uses boiled mashed potatoes (instead of meat) and adds fresh mint to the mix as well. Below, I provide recipes for two of the most common Kibbeh preparations - the Fried (which many of you will recognize) and the baked.
Kibbeh
• 1 cup fine burghul
• 1 meduim onion, peeled
• 1lb (450g) ground beef or lamb
• 2 tsp Salt
Put the burghul in a large bowl and cover it with cold water. Let it soak for about 30 minutes then drain in a strainer while pressing down to remove as much water as possible. Return to the bowl.
Cut the onion into quarters and puree in the food processor.
Add the onion, beef (or lamb) and salt to the burghul and knead the mixture with your hands till smooth. If it becomes too sticky, add a little ice cold water till it gets smooth.
NOTE: For Raw Kibbeh cut the burghul amount by half and add 1tsp of ground Cumin to the mixture when you add the salt.
Fried Stuffed Kibbeh
Makes about 20 pieces
• 1 Recipe Kibbeh
• 2 cups meat Stuffing
• 1 small bowl of water with ice cubes in it
• Oil for frying
Making these stuffed torpedo shaped pies takes some practice and the first few you make will probably look odd or fall apart. Keep trying, and once you get the hang of it, it will become quite easy. Here are the steps to making a perfect fried Kibbeh.
Make the shell by forming a piece of the Kibbeh into a small ball, the size of a golf ball. Rub your hands with a little ice water if the ball becomes sticky while you are rolling it between your palms.
Using an index finger and holding the ball in your other hand, make a tunnel in the ball. This is where the stuffing will go. Rotate the ball while “digging” the tunnel to make it an even thickness. The trick is to get the shell as thin as possible without breaking it. You should end up with a hollow, cone-shaped shell.
Spoon about 2 tsp of the meat filling into the prepared shell, leaving enough room to close it.
Using both hands gently close and seal the shell over the filling and, using the ice cold water as lubricant, form it into a football shaped pie.
Heat about 2 inches (5cm) of oil in a deep pot to 375F (190C). Fry the Kibbeh a few at a time until they are deep brown on all sides. Drain and serve with “Yogurt Tahini Sauce”, “Cucumber Yogurt Salad” or “Tomato Salad"
Baked Stuffed Kibbeh
Makes one pie, about 4-6 servings
• 1 Recipe Kibbeh
• 2 cups Meat Stuffing
• 1 small bowl of water with ice cubes in it
• ¼ cup Samen (or melted butter).
Preheat your oven to 375F (190C). Prepare a baking dish or pie pan by rubbing the insides with a tablespoon of the Samen.
Build the first layer of Kibbeh. The easiest way to do this is by building it in patches. Pat a piece of the Kibbeh between your palms until 1/8 - 1/4inch (3 - 6 mm) thick (depends how thick you like it). Lay the Kibbeh disc in the prepared pan. Keep doing this, placing the discs next to each other till you cover the bottom. You will have several “holes” which you need to patch with small Kibbeh pieces. Wet your hands with ice water and smooth the first layer till it looks uniform and with no holes.
Put your stuffing all over the first layer of Kibbeh, then top it off with another layer of Kibbeh using the same technique you used to build the first one. Close all the holes and smooth it out.
Using a sharp knife cut the unbaked stuffed Kibbeh into wedges and make a small hole in the center where the cuts cross. Drizzle the remaining Samen (or Butter) all over and make sure it goes into the cuts and the hole in the center. This will give it a beautiful color and amazing flavor.
Put the stuffed Kibbeh in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until it is nice and golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and serve the slices with “Cucumber Yogurt Salad”.
Fried Kibbeh, Baked Kibbeh with Tahini Yogurt
Sauce and a salad
