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Kibbeh
Kibbeh is a traditional Lebanese recipe for a classic snack (or meat dish) of bulgur wheat, lamb mince and onion shells filled with a mix of lamb mince, pine nuts, and onion that are deep fried to cook. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Lebanese version of: Kibbeh.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
30 minutes
Total Time:
50 minutes
Makes:
20
Rating: 
Tags : Sauce RecipesSpice RecipesLamb RecipesVegetable RecipesMilk RecipesCheese RecipesLebanon Recipes
This is a classic Lebanese dish or snack of bulgur wheat, lamb mince and onion shells filled with a mix of lamb mince, pine nuts, and onion that are deep fried to cook. In Lebanon they are made in many shapes and sizes and can be filled with goat meat as well as lamb. However, this lamb-based version is by far the most popular.
Ingredients:
For the Filling:
250g lamb mince
2 tbsp (heaped) pine nuts
1 small onion, finely chopped
olive oil
1 generous pinch of ground
cinnamon
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
For the Shells:
175g bulgur wheat
350g lamb mince
1 onion, chopped
pinch of cumin
groundnut oil
To Serve:
300ml Greek yoghurt
80g Feta cheese
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 lemon
Method:
Begin with the filling. Add about 4 tbsp olive oil to a large frying pan. Use this to sweat down the onion until soft then add the pine nuts and continue frying until they are golden. Stir in the minced lamb and fry until beginning to brown. Break the lamb up with a wooden spoon and season with salt, black pepper and the cinnamon. When the meat is well browned all over, take the mixture off the heat and spread on a large plate to cool.
In the meantime, wash the bulgur wheat then place in a bowl and pour in enough water so that it's about 1cm above the grains. Set aside for 10 minutes to soak. When the filling is almost cold prepare the shell mixture. Combine the lamb mince, onion and cumin in a food processor. Blitz to combine then season with salt and black pepper to taste. Scrape this mixture into a bowl then drain the bulgur wheat and mix thoroughly with the other ingredients.
Wet your hands in a bowl of water then take a golfball-sized chunk of the shell mix and roll this into a firm ball. Form a hole in the centre with your thumb then work this into an elongated cavity. Fill this with the stuffing mix, re-moisten your hands then pinch the shell mixture over the top to close the filling inside. Set aside on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining shell and filling mixtures.
Heat oil in a deep fryer or wok to 180°C (when a piece of the mix, when dropped into the oil, immediately fizzles on the surface). Deep fry the kibbeh in batches of about 6, cooking for about 7 minutes, or until they are coloured a deep, even, golden brown.
When done, remove the kibbeh with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper as you prepare the next batch. Serve warm, accompanied by a dip made by blending the cucumber, crumbled Feta cheese, garlic and mint with the yoghurt.
