Below is the recipe for Affifi's Baked Kibbeh. The meat and pumpkin version, which she shared with us at the August 17th Cooking Class event. For pictures from this event go to our photo gallery.
Affifi's Baked Kibbeh
Ingredients:
- 2 – 2 ½ lbs of lean/extra lean ground lamb (or beef, or a mix) (set aside small portion to be cooked for filling)
- 2 onions finely minced (set aside about a cup to add in bulgar mix)
- 1 – 1 ½ cup bulgar, grain #1 (whole wheat or white)
- 1 - 2 tsp salt (to taste)
- 1 tbsp Seven Spices- or “Kibbeh spices”
- olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Brown a small portion of meat for filling ~1/2 lb
Soak bulgar in room temperature water (about 20 -30 min.) squeeze out excess water
Roast pine nuts until dark brown (dry, or using butter)
Once bulgar is ready, add in bowl with remaining ground uncooked meat. Add handful of raw chopped onions. Add spices. Mix these ingredients very thoroughly (using hands- blender optional) as if kneading dough for a minimum of 15 minutes. Must become dough-like. If too thick, drizzle some water into mix.
Sauté greater portion of onions with olive oil until brownish-red
Coat bottom of metal 9x13 pan with olive oil. Gradually pat bulgar-meat mix in thin layer on the bottom, spread evenly and pat until smooth.
Take cooked items (onions, meat, pine nuts), mix together and spread evenly over bottom layer. Pat gently into meat layer with spatula or spoon.
Add top layer of bulgar-meat mix in thin, even layer. Wet fingers if too sticky. Smooth surface and edges. With a wet knife, cut to make your choice of design (diamond is most common which is made by cutting straight across in one direction and diagonal in the other)
Brush olive oil on top, place in oven, uncovered for 30-40 minutes. Broil for 5-10 minutes towards end to brown top. Cut again before serving.
Sahtein!
Affifi’s Vegetarian Kibbeh (Pumpkin version)
Ingredients:
- 1 can pumpkin (16oz)- may also boil or roast a fresh pumpkin
- ½ lb or (1 cup) bulgar (whole wheat or white) grain #1
- 1 large onion chopped (leave handful aside for bulgar-pumpkin mix
- Salt (to taste)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 tbsp Seven Spices- or “Kibbeh spices”
- 1/2 cup Raisins, or currents
- olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Soak bulgar in room temperature water (about 20 -30 min.) squeeze out excess water
Roast pine nuts until dark brown (dry, or using butter)
Once bulgar is ready, add in bowl with pumpkin. Add handful of raw chopped onions. Add spices. Mix these ingredients very thoroughly (using hands- blender optional) as if kneading dough for a minimum of 15 minutes. Must become dough-like. If too thick, drizzle some water into mix.
Sauté greater portion of onions with olive oil until brownish-red
Coat bottom of metal 8x8 pan with olive oil. Gradually pat bulgar-pumpkin mix in thin layer on the bottom, spread evenly and pat until smooth.
Take cooked items (onions, currants, pine nuts), mix together and spread evenly over bottom layer. Pat gently into pumpkin layer with spatula or spoon.
Add top, thin, even layer of bulgar-pumpkin mix. Wet fingers if too sticky. Smooth surface and edges. With a wet knife, cut to make your choice of design (diamond is most common which is made by cutting straight across in one direction and diagonal in the other)
Brush olive oil on top, place in oven, uncovered for 30-40 minutes. Broil for 5-10 minutes towards end to brown top. Cut again before serving.
Sahtein!
