Bulgur Kibbeh with Meat Filling

Ingredients

• 1½ cups fine bulgur
• 2 1/4 cups boiling water
• a pinch of white pepper
• a pinch of paprika (sweet red pepper powder)
• a pinch of ground nutmeg
• salt
• 1½ cups flour
• 1/2 cup oil (or a little more as needed)
• Filling:
• finely chopped onion
• meat seasoning (baharat)
• white pepper
• ground nutmeg
• baharat (seven-spice) mix
• cinnamon
• bay leaf
• chopped parsley
• nuts as desired
• Filling method:
• For more of Umm Maurice’s recipes see: How to make shish barak

Method

1. Soak the bulgur in boiling water until the bulgur absorbs all the water.
2. Then stir them a little, and when they cool, add white pepper, nutmeg, paprika, and salt.
3. Mix them well, then add the flour and oil and knead well.
4. If the dough feels not cohesive, add a little oil and continue kneading until you obtain a cohesive, soft, moldable dough.
5. Form the dough into medium-sized balls like traditional meat kibbeh discs.
6. Make a cavity inside each ball and shape the discs, stuffing them with the pre-prepared meat filling that has been left to cool.
7. Close the discs and form the final shape — as shown in the picture.
8. Fry the bulgur kibbeh in plenty of hot oil and serve.
9. Sauté the onion in a little oil until it softens.
10. Add the spices and bay leaves, then add the meat and stir until it cooks.
11. Add salt and stir, then a sprinkle of chopped parsley, stir, and remove the filling from the heat.
12. You can add any kind of fried nuts according to taste.
13. Let the filling cool before using it.