Kibbeh in Yogurt

Ingredients

• plain yogurt
• a handful or 1/2 coffee-cup of short-grain Egyptian rice — amount depends on the quantity of yogurt
• dried mint
• a clove of crushed garlic — optional
• Kibbeh (dough):
• fine bulgur
• meat pounded or pureed in a blender until smooth
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of meat spices
• a sprinkle of flour to help the kibbeh mixture bind
• Filling:
• minced meat
• finely chopped onion
• fried pine nuts
• spices — cinnamon and allspice or black pepper as preferred
• salt
• Kibbeh in yogurt recipe from our friend and cook on Shou Tabkhin Today:
• Fatima Zahwi Ghamloush
• Click Fatima's name to visit her page on our site and discover her recipes
• Click the link for the zucchini-in-yogurt recipe: Zucchini in Yogurt
• Kibbeh preparation method at: Fried Kibbeh Recipe

Method

1. Start by preparing the filling: sauté finely chopped onion until softened, then add the meat and stir until it dries; sprinkle the spices and salt and cook until the meat is done without over-frying.
2. Add the fried pine nuts, stir, remove the filling from the heat, and let it cool.
3. Second: soak the bulgur with a little water only until it is just moistened; leave it for one hour, then drain well if there is water the bulgur has not absorbed.
4. Process the bulgur in the dedicated machine or knead it by hand.
5. Add the mashed meat (or meat pounded in the blender) on top of the bulgur and knead well by hand or with the electric blender.
6. Add salt, spices, and a pinch of flour and continue mixing well until the kibbeh dough is homogeneous.
7. Begin shaping the kibbeh and stuffing them immediately after preparing the dough — do not leave the dough aside, otherwise the kibbeh will crack and fall apart when shaping.
8. Form the kibbeh into medium or small balls as desired, make a cavity in each, fill with a little filling, then close them in the traditional shape; you can keep a small cup of water with a pinch of salt nearby and dampen your hand slightly when sealing each kibbeh — this helps keep them moist and prevents cracking.
9. When the kibbeh are ready, place them aside on a tray; put the yogurt in a pot over the heat with a small handful of washed and drained Egyptian rice.
10. Stir the yogurt continuously while waiting for it to boil.
11. When it boils, add the kibbeh — either fried in plenty of oil or raw, according to your preference.
12. Leave the kibbeh in yogurt on the heat for another 5 to 10 minutes until the kibbeh are cooked, then serve onto plates and sprinkle dried mint on top.
13. Serve the kibbeh in yogurt hot or cold, according to taste.
14. Fatima Zahoui Ghamloush
15. Click the link for the zucchini in yogurt recipe: How to make zucchini in yogurt
16. Kibbeh recipe at the following link: How to prepare fried kibbeh