Fried Kibbeh

Next to tabbouleh, fried kibbeh is the second-most popular dish in Lebanon and Syria particularly. Delicious fragrant stuffing is encased within a crisp shell of bulgur, meat and spices. Versions of kibbeh can be made with potato, pumpkin and even fish.

MAKES: 24 kibbeh

INGREDIENTS:

FILLING

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ cup pine nuts
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• ½ lb lean lamb, finely ground
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sumac
• 1 tsp allspice
• Salt and pepper

KIBBEH DOUGH

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp marjoram
• ¼ cup dried rose petals (optional)
• 2 cups fine bulgur, presoaked in cold water
• 1 lb lean lamb, finely ground twice
• Olive oil for deep-frying

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare the filling: In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the pine nuts until lightly golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent.
3. Add the ground lamb to the pan and continue to stir until cooked through.
4. Season the filling with cinnamon, sumac, allspice, salt, and pepper. Add the pine nuts. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Set aside to cool.
5. To make the kibbeh dough, in a food processor, purée the onion with the spices and rose petals (or pound them to a paste using a mortar and pestle).
6. Place the purée in a large bowl. Squeeze out excess water from the presoaked bulgur and add it to the bowl with the spicy paste. Mix well.
7. Add the finely ground lamb to the bowl and work it into the mixture until everything is well combined. Add a couple of tablespoons of cold water if needed to make the dough smooth and easy to mold.
8. Moisten your hands with water. Take a portion of the kibbeh dough roughly the size of a golf ball and form it into a uniform ball shape.
9. Make an indent in the center of the ball, cupping it in your palm. Using your thumb, enlarge the indent, rotating the dough to make the shell as evenly thin as possible.
10. Fill the shell with the cooled filling, then close it and smooth it out to completely enclose the filling. Shape the kibbeh into the traditional pointed-oblong shape. Repeat this process until all the kibbeh balls are formed.
11. In a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat olive oil to 350°F (175°C).
12. Fry the kibbeh balls in the hot oil until they are golden brown on all sides.
13. Serve the kibbeh hot with cucumber and yogurt mint salad.