Lebanese Kibbeh Pies
8 servings
50 minutes
Kibbeh, deep-fried patties made from bulgur and minced meat, are made throughout the Middle East. But in Syria and Lebanon, it is treated in a special way: the way a woman cooks kibbeh is used to determine how good a housewife she is. Kibbeh must be spicy, with pepper, cinnamon, and even fresh mint added to it. Some of the minced meat is mixed with bulgur and spices - this is the base, and some is fried with onions and used as a filling. The smaller the bulgur, the easier it will be to cook.
1
Soak fine bulgur in cold water for 30 minutes. Then drain the water and squeeze it through a towel to remove excess moisture.
- Bulgur: 220 g
2
Fry finely chopped onion in olive oil in a frying pan.
- Olive oil: 30 ml
3
Add half of the minced meat, mix it, breaking it up with a spatula.
- Minced lamb: 450 g
4
Add fried pine nuts, ground allspice, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. Fry for 10 minutes, stirring. Then remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Pine nuts: 70 g
- Ground allspice: 1 teaspoon
- Ground cumin (zira): 0.5 teaspoon
- Ground cinnamon: 0.5 teaspoon
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
5
Mix bulgur with the remaining minced meat, chopped onion, and mint.
- Bulgur: 220 g
- Minced lamb: 450 g
- Onion: 2 heads
- Fresh mint: 10 g
6
Add a teaspoon of salt and pepper, blend until the consistency of dough. If the mixture is too dry, you can add an ice cube to the blender.
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
7
With hands dampened in cold water, take a ball of bulgur dough the size of an egg, roll it into a ball, then press a dent in it with your finger. Place the filling in the dent, carefully close the opening and shape the pastry into a lemon-like form with elongated ends.
8
Place the filling in the indentation, carefully close the opening, and shape the pastry into an elongated form resembling a lemon.
- Minced lamb: 450 g
9
Heat vegetable oil to 180 degrees and fry the kibbeh for 10 minutes.
- Vegetable oil: 1 l
10
Place the ready pies on paper towels. Serve.
- Vegetable oil: 1 l