Kibbeh is made using burghul, also known as bulgur, and I have wanted to try this for a long time, but had trouble finding the burghul.
Burghul is cracked wheat that has been par boiled, so requires little cooking, and this recipe originated in the Middle East, though I think they used meat mince and I have used chicken mince.
It is sandwiched together with a type of tabouli, and I have also served tabouli with it as a cold salad, as I currently have a lot of tomatoes and parsley growing in my veggie garden.
I was very pleased with the result, and the burghul is a bit similar to brown rice, but with a nuttier, slightly different flavour and harder texture.
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 cup burghul
450 g chicken mince
½ onion, chopped finely
1 clove crushed garlic
1 tbsp tarragon leaves or ½ tsp dried tarragon
½ tsp ground allspice
Pepper, to taste
About 30 g butter
For the filling
About 40 g pine nuts, toasted
200 g small tomatoes, chopped finely
½ cup chopped parsley
½ tsp cinnamon
For the tabouli
Small amount of burghul
Tomatoes
Lemon juice to taste
2 cups parsley, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh mint
Olive oil
Method
Put enough boiling water to cover the burghul, both for the kibbeh, and the tabouli, in a dish, and leave for about 15 minutes.
Drain this and squeeze out excess moisture with your hands.
Combine the burghul, chicken mince, garlic, onion, tarragon, pepper and allspice in a bowl.
Using wet hands, carefully press half this mixture evenly over the base of an oiled 13 x 16 cm dish.
Mix the ingredients for the filling and spread this evenly over the kibbeh base.
Press the rest of the kibbeh mixture on top of this filling and smooth the top with wet hands.
Use a wet knife to cut through the kibbeh, and then place a dob of butter on each piece.
Bake the kibbeh in a preheated 160° fan forced oven for about 1 hour or until it is starting to brown.
Meanwhile mix all the ingredients for the tabouli together.
You can vary the ingredients to your liking.
Put the tabouli on the serving plates.
Add the kibbeh, and serve.
Categories
#Party food
#Dinner
#Lunch
#Middle Eastern
#Burghul
#Bulgur
#Tomatoes#Parsley