This dish is a labour of love as it has many steps but as in life sometimes the things that take the most patience are the most rewarding. You will feel great doing this recipe and everyone at home will love the taste and flavours. It has an earthy hearty warming flavours that all come together when it is all finished. I urge you to try this recipe as it will give you a glimpse to my world and to the world of my ancestors.
- 300g minced Beef
- 2diced onions
- 1tsp of cardamom
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1tbsp of paprika
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 tsp of turmeric
- 1/4 tsp of Aleppo pepper
- 1/2 tsp of all spice
Yogurt Sauce
- 1500g yogurt (1000g of thick yogurt and 500g normal)
- 3tbsp of corn starch diluted in 1/2 cup of water
- 1tsp salt
Kibbeh Shell
- 500g of processed In a food processor until paste like lamb or beef fillet
- 2 cups fine bulgur wheat
- 1/2 cup coarse semolina
- 2 medium sized grated onions
- 1tsp of ground coriander
- 1tbsp of paprika
- 1tsp of salt
- In medium sized pot add a drizzle of olive oil an d fry the onion until transluscent. Add minced beef cutting it with a spoon to form very small pieces . Add all the spices and fry until the the beef is browned and there is no water left. Take of heat and stir in pine nuts. Put in a bowl and let cool completely before using it to stuff the kibbeh balls.
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Wash the cracked wheat throughly and drain. Add semolina, salt onion and processed meat and knead all the ingredients until they are all incorporated. Keep a small bowl of ice cold water next to you to keep dipping your hands to facilitate the making of the kibbeh. Also wearing gloves makes the whole process so much easier. Divide the kibbeh dough into samll equal size balls (1 1/2 in in size). Take each ball ad make a hole in the middle with your index finger while at the same time rotating the ball with the other hand until the hole is large enough to fill 1 tsp of the stuffing. Close the hole by pinching and rotating the ball to seal it. On a baking tray arrange al the kibbeh balls making sure they dont touch.
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In a large pot add the yogurt and the corn starch and bring to a boil while stirring the whole time on medium heat. When it boils it will start to thicken keep stirring until the yogurt becomes similar to a slighly less firm pancake batter. Add the kibbeh balls and cook for 40 minutes on meiudm to low heat stirring occasionally. In a Shallow frying pan add 30g of butter add coriander and mint and sauttee for 2minutes. Pour on top of the yogurt and kibbeh mixture and serve immediately.
