Kebbe Meqlyieh

Crispy bulgur shells stuffed with a savory mix of minced meat, onions, and traditional spices.

🥄 Ingredients

• 1 kg whole wheat bulgur (white bulgur is good for cooking, not for kebbe)
• 400 g lean ground beef or veal
• 200 g flour
• 2 large onions (400 g)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 0.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp seven-spice mix
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 Maggi cube
• 1 tbsp salt
• Filling:
• 1.5 kg lean ground beef (1.5 kg per 1 kg bulgur)
• 3 large onions (600 g)
• 100 g toasted pine nuts (if available)
• 250 g walnuts
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Maggi cube
• 0.5 tsp seven-spice mix

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Preparing the Kebbe Dough:
2. Pour 3 cups of cold tap water over the bulgur. Slice the onion into wedges and add it to the bulgur. Add the remaining ingredients to the bulgur, except for the lean meat and flour, which will be added in the second step. Let the bulgur soak with the seven-spice blend and sliced ​​onion for at least 2 1 hours, or longer if needed.
3. Grind the bulgur for the first time in a meat grinder, without the lean meat. After the first grinding is complete, mix the ground lean meat with the ground bulgur. Add the flour at this stage. If the dough feels dry, gradually add a little water. Then, grind the bulgur, lean meat, and flour together in the meat grinder again until the kebbe has a uniform color. Knead the mixture on a work surface until it is completely smooth. The dough should be firm, neither too soft nor too stiff, and easily shaped.
4. There are different types of bulgur, and some require more water than others. Add the water by gently sprinkling and kneading as needed.
5. Preparing the filling: Finely chop the onion and heat a little oil in a deep pot. Sauté until lightly golden. Add the lean ground meat, breaking it up as much as possible, and mix it with the onion. Cover and cook over low heat for 1.5 hour, or until the meat is cooked through. If there is still some liquid, uncover and continue cooking over very low heat until the liquid has evaporated. Then add salt, seven-spice mix, and nuts. Remember that nuts also absorb liquid, but not too much. Let it cool in the refrigerator, or even overnight.
6. Shaping and stuffing the kebbe: Cut the dough into pieces about the size of your fist, half-closed, weighing approximately 70 grams. Moisten your hands with a little water, but don't use too much, or the kebbe will stick. Starting from the center of the circle, hollow out the kebbe. Press the edges of the circle to flatten it, rolling the piece in your hand until it is about half a centimeter thick, or less if possible. Then fill it with the filling.

🌹 Decoration

Place lettuce leaves under the kebbe dish and arrange them artistically on top, with slices of tomato between each piece.