Kibbeh Nayeh Fritters (Lebanese Kibbeh Balls, Fried)

About This Recipe

Kibbeh is considered by many the national dish of Lebanon, and this fried version — kibbeh mekliyeh — shapes a fine bulgur and ground meat mixture into a hollow torpedo shell before filling it with a richer, spiced meat filling. The outer shell is made from a paste of fine bulgur, ground beef or lamb, and onion, blended until smooth and pliable enough to shape and hollow by hand, a skill that takes practice to perfect but is central to Lebanese home cooking traditions. Filled with a mixture of ground meat, onion and pine nuts cooked until deeply savory, the shaped kibbeh are deep-fried until the shell turns dark golden and crisp, served hot as part of a larger meze spread alongside hummus and tabbouleh.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 cupsfine bulgur
• 300 glean ground beef or lamb(for shell)
• 1onion(for shell)
• 1 tspsalt(for shell)
• 1/2 tspground cumin(for shell)
• 1/2 tspbaharat(for shell)
• 200 gground beef or lamb(for filling)
• 1onion(diced, for filling)
• 3 tbsppine nuts(for filling)
• 1/2 tspcinnamon(for filling)
• 1 tspsalt(for filling)
• 4 cupsvegetable oil(for frying)

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the bulgur

   Soak the fine bulgur in cold water for 15 minutes, then squeeze thoroughly dry.

2. 2

   Make the shell paste

   Blend or process the soaked bulgur with the ground meat, onion, salt, cumin and baharat until smooth and cohesive; chill for 20 minutes.

3. 3

   Make the filling

   Cook diced onion until soft, add ground meat, browning until cooked through, then stir in pine nuts, cinnamon and salt.

4. 4

   Shape the kibbeh

   With wet hands, take a portion of the shell mixture, form into an oval, and use a finger to hollow out the center, working the paste thin and even.

   Keep your hands wet throughout shaping — this prevents the sticky shell mixture from cracking as you work it thin.

5. 5

   Fill and seal

   Fill the hollow with a spoonful of the meat filling, then pinch the opening closed and shape into a pointed torpedo.

6. 6

   Fry

   Fry in batches in hot oil (350F/175C) for 4-5 minutes, turning, until deeply golden and crisp all over.

7. 7

   Serve

   Drain on paper towels and serve hot as part of a meze spread.

Variations

• •

  Kibbeh can also be baked in a tray as a layered casserole rather than shaped into individual torpedoes.

• •

  A raw version, kibbeh nayeh, is eaten uncooked with very fresh, high-quality meat, similar to a Lebanese steak tartare.

• •

  A vegetarian pumpkin kibbeh substitutes pumpkin puree for the meat in the shell.

Storage

Uncooked, shaped kibbeh freeze well; fry directly from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the cooking time. Cooked kibbeh keeps 2 days refrigerated and reheats well in an oven.

Frequently Asked Questions