Orange Blossom Water

Aleppo is known as “the home of stuffed vegetables and kibab (plural of kibbeh) حلب أم المحاشي و الكبب. According to “The Encyclopedia of Aleppo” there are more than 60 kinds of Kibbeh in Aleppo.

Kibbeh Mabroumeh (Rolled Kibbeh / Kibbeh Roll), an authentic Aleppine dish. It is kibbeh dough stuffed with a mixture of ground meat and pistachios, then rolled into a log and baked in the oven.

Let’s make Kibbeh Mabroumeh:

Kibbeh Dough

1 to 12. Measure 300 g fine brown bulgur wheat, and rinse it in three changes of water.

13, 14. Put rinsed bulgur wheat in a bowl, and add 1/4 cup water to it.

15, 16. Cut 1 medium red onion into quarters.

17. Add onion quarters to bulgur.

18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Add 1 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper, 1/8 teaspoon al-bhar al-halabi (bahr al-daqqa al-halabi), and 1 1/8 teaspoons salt to bulgur.

23. Set aside in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 hours.

24. After 1 1/2 hours, add 1/4 cup water to it. Test bulgur before you add this extra water, if it is moist so there is no need for the water.

26, 27, 28. Measure 150 g fat free ground lamb meat, and set aside.

29. The Bulgur mixture and the meat will form kibbeh dough.

29, 30. Attach the fine holed plate to the meat grinder.

31 to 38. To the grinder, add bulgur and onion quarters, and grind.

39, 40. Knead the dough to bring together.

41, 42, 43, 44. Add the 150 g fat free ground lamb meat to the dough, and knead to bring together.

45 to 50. Form the dough into small logs, and grind.

51, 52. Knead the dough to bring together.

53 to 60. Again form the dough into small logs, and grind.

61, 62, 63, 64. Knead the dough to form a ball. Cover with a plastic wrap and set aside in the refrigerator.

Filling

65, 66, 67, 68. In a deep pot, heat 1 tablespoon ghee.

69, 70, 71, 72. Add 250 g fat free ground lamb meat to ghee.

73, 74. Brown the meat.

75 to 81. Season the meat with 1 1/8 teaspoons salt, 1/8 teaspoon al-bhar al-halabi (bahr al-daqqa al-halabi), and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.

82. Transfer meat into a bowl and set aside to cool.

83, 84. Measure 70 g fat free ground lamb meat.

85, 86. Transfer ground lamb meat to a food processor.

87, 88. Run your food processor for few times.

89, 90. Keep food processor running, and add 20 g ice cubes.

91, 92. Processing ground meat with ice cubes will form a paste, this paste is called “Habra”.

93, 94, 95, 96. Add Habra to browned meat and stir to mix.

97, 98, 99, 100. Add 150 g shelled unsalted pistachios to meat mixture and stir to mix. Set the filling aside.

Making Kibbeh

101, 102, 103, 104. Bring a 10 x 14 inch (25 x 30 cm) rectangular baking sheet, and brush with 1 tablespoon ghee.

105, 106, 107, 108. Bring kibbeh dough and knead. Divide it into two equal parts.

109, 110, 111, 112. Bring the filling (meat mixture) and divide it into two equal parts.

113. You will get two kibbeh rolls.

114, 115, 116. Bring kibbeh dough, and form into a log.

117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122. Put the log on a plastic paper and spread with your hand.

123, 124. Use a rolling pin and roll it between sheets of a plastic paper.

125 to 140. Roll the dough into a 6 x 16 inch (15 x 40 cm) rectangle sheet with thickness of 0.2 inch (0.5 cm).

141, 142, 143, 144. Stuff it with the meat mixture and spread evenly.

145, 146. Press the meat mixture to make it as a log.

147, 148, 149, 150. Roll using the plastic wrap.

151, 152, 153, 154. Seal the sides firmly.

155. Bring a bowl of salted water, 200 ml water with 2 tablespoons salt.

157, 158. To seal the roll, dip your fingers in salted water and brush kibbeh dough with your wet fingers.

159 to 164. Work with your wet fingers and smooth the roll surface and shape it into a log.

165, 166, 167, 168. Place kibbeh rolls on the prepared baking sheet.

169. Measure 150 g ghee in a bowl.

170. Add 1/8 teaspoon black pepper to ghee.

171, 172. Stir to mix.

173, 174, 175, 176. Brush kibbeh rolls with ghee mixture generously.

177, 178. Bake in preheated oven at 300 – 355 °F (150 – 180 °C) for 40 minutes or until golden brown in color and the rolls are set.

179, 180, 181. Kibbeh should be brushed with ghee every 10 minutes, use the ghee that melted in the baking sheet and if needed use ghee from the bowl.

183, 184. Kibbeh is baked to golden brown.

185. Cover baked kibbeh with aluminum foil and set aside to cool to room temperature.

185, 186, 187, 188. Slice, serve in a plate and garnish with pistachios and pomegranate seeds.

189. Serve kibbeh with salad (salad is prepared from tomato, cucumber, lettuce, mint, onion, lemon juice, olive oil and salt), and laban ‘ayran (yogurt diluted with water and seasoned with salt). Leftovers can be reheated.

Kibbeh Mabroumeh

From: Chef Mohammad Orfali / Servings: 5 People
PDF Text Only / Print With Images

Kibbeh Dough 300 g fine brown bulgur wheat 1/2 cup water, divided 1 medium red onion, cut into quarters 1 tsp ground Aleppo pepper 1/8 tsp al-bhar al-halabi 1 1/8 tsp salt 150 g fat free ground lamb meat Filling 1 tbsp ghee, for meat 250 g fat free ground lamb meat 1 1/8 tsp salt 1/8 tsp al-bhar al-halabi 1/8 tsp black pepper 70 g fat free ground lamb meat 20 g ice cubes 150 g shelled unsalted pistachios Making Kibbeh 1 tbsp ghee, to brush baking sheet Salted water, 200 ml water with 2 tbsp salt 150 g ghee with 1/8 tsp black pepper, to brush kibbeh Garnish Shelled unsalted pistachios Pomegranate seeds To Serve Salad Laban ‘ayran (yogurt drink)

Kibbeh Dough Measure 300 g fine brown bulgur wheat, and rinse it in three changes of water. Put rinsed bulgur wheat in a bowl, and add 1/4 cup water to it. Cut 1 medium red onion into quarters. Add onion quarters to bulgur. Add 1 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper, 1/8 teaspoon al-bhar al-halabi (bahr al-daqqa al-halabi), and 1 1/8 teaspoons salt to bulgur. Set aside in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 hours. After 1 1/2 hours, add 1/4 cup water to it. Test bulgur before you add this extra water, if it is moist so there is no need for the water. Measure 150 g fat free ground lamb meat, and set aside. The Bulgur mixutre and the meat will form kibbeh dough. Attach the fine holed plate to the meat grinder. To the grinder, add bulgur and onion quarters, and grind. Knead the dough to bring together. Add the 150 g fat free ground lamb meat to the dough, and knead to bring together. Form the dough into small logs, and grind. Knead the dough to bring together. Again form the dough into small logs, and grind. Knead the dough to form a ball. Cover with a plastic wrap and set aside in the refrigerator. Filling In a deep pot, heat 1 tablespoon ghee. Add 250 g fat free ground lamb meat to ghee. Brown the meat. Season the meat with 1 1/8 teaspoons salt, 1/8 teaspoon al-bhar al-halabi (bahr al-daqqa al-halabi), and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Transfer meat into a bowl and set aside to cool. Measure 70 g fat free ground lamb meat. Transfer ground lamb meat to a food processor. Run your food processor for few times. Keep food processor running, and add 20 g ice cubes. Processing ground meat with ice cubes will form a paste, this paste is called “Habra”. Add Habra to browned meat and stir to mix. Add 150 g shelled unsalted pistachios to meat mixture and stir to mix. Set the filling aside. Making Kibbeh Bring a 10 x 14 inch (25 x 30 cm) rectangular baking sheet, and brush with 1 tablespoon ghee. Bring kibbeh dough and knead. Divide it into two equal parts. Bring the filling (meat mixture) and divide it into two equal part. You will get two kibbeh rolls. Bring kibbeh dough, and form into a log. Put the log on a plastic paper and spread with your hand. Use a rolling pin and roll it between sheets of a plastic paper. Roll the dough into a 6 x 16 inch (15 x 40 cm) rectangle sheet with thickness of 0.2 inch (0.5 cm). Stuff it with the meat mixture and spread evenly. Press the meat mixture to make it as a log. Roll using the plastic wrap. Seal the sides firmly. Bring a bowl of salted water, 200 ml water with 2 tablespoons salt. To seal the roll, dip your fingers in salted water and brush kibbeh dough with your wet fingers. Work with your wet fingers and smooth the roll surface and shape it into a log. Place kibbeh rolls on the prepared baking sheet. Measure 150 g ghee in a bowl. Add 1/8 teaspoon black pepper to ghee. Stir to mix. Brush kibbeh rolls with ghee mixture generously. Bake in preheated oven at 300 – 355 °F (150 – 180 °C) for 40 minutes or until golden brown in color and the rolls are set. Kibbeh should be brushed with ghee every 10 minutes, use the ghee that melted in the baking sheet and if needed use ghee from the bowl. Cover baked kibbeh with aluminum foil and set aside to cool to room temperature. Slice, serve in a plate and garnish with pistachios and pomegranate seeds. Serve kibbeh with salad (salad is prepared from tomato, cucumber, lettuce, mint, onion, lemon juice, olive oil and salt), and laban ‘ayran (yogurt diluted with water and seasoned with salt). Leftovers can be reheated.

Notes and Tips

The name of brown bulgur in Aleppo is “Burghul ‘Omqi برغل عمقي”.

Here is a photo of ground Aleppo pepper, and click here to know more about it.

Click here for the recipe of Al-Bhar Al-Halabi.

I didn’t use all the quantity of ghee when brushing kibbeh.

My oven is gas oven and it has two functions:
The oven upper burner “broiler”.
The oven bottom burner “bake function”.
I can turn on both of them together, and I can turn off one of them and keep the other on.
I baked kibbeh with both lower burner “bake function” and upper burner “broiler” are turned on. If your oven is different than mine and both functions can’t work together, so adjust the heat as suggested 300 – 355 °F (150 – 180 °C), bake kibbeh till golden brown in color on bottom, then turn on the top burner to turn kibbeh to golden brown in color on top, you have to brush with ghee every 10 minutes when you turn on the upper burn. At the end make sure that the kibbeh on bottom and top is golden brown in color.

Check my videos:
Making Kibbeh Dough
Kibbeh Mabroumeh sizzling in the oven

This entry was posted on Monday, December 26th, 2016 at 9:42 PM and is filed under Syrian Cooking, To Aleppo With Love. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.