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 Eswaret As-Set (Lady Bracelet), an authentic Aleppine dish. It is kibbeh dough stuffed with a mixture of ground meat and nuts, then shaped into balls and baked in the oven.

Let’s make Kibbeh Eswaret As-Set:

Kibbeh Dough

1 to 12. Measure 150 g fine brown bulgur wheat, and rinse it in three changes of water.

13, 14. Put rinsed bulgur wheat in a bowl, and add 1/8 cup water to it.

15, 16. Cut 1/2 medium red onion into quarters.

17. Add onion quarters to bulgur.

18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Add 1/2 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper, less than 1/8 teaspoon al-bhar al-halabi (bahr al-daqqa al-halabi), and 1/2 teaspoon salt to bulgur.

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

24. After 1 1/2 hours, add 1/8 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 75 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 75 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.

65, 66. In a pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon ghee.

67, 68, 69. Add 30 g almond halves and fry until golden brown in color, and set aside.

70, 71, 72. To same ghee, add 30 g pistachio halves and fry until golden brown in color, and set aside.

Filling

73, 74, 75, 76. In a deep pot, heat 1/2 tablespoon ghee.

77, 78, 79, 80. Add 175 g fat free ground lamb meat to ghee.

81, 82. Brown the meat.

83 to 88. Season the meat with 1/2 teaspoon salt, less than 1/8 teaspoon al-bhar al-halabi (bahr al-daqqa al-halabi), and less than 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

89 to 96. Add nuts to meat, stir and transfer into a plate and set aside to slightly cool.

Making Kibbeh

97, 98,99, 100. Bring round baking sheet with 8 inch (20 cm) diameter, and brush with 1 teaspoon ghee.

101, 102, 103. Bring kibbeh dough and knead. Divide it into balls, each ball equals to 25 grams.

104. Bring the filling (meat mixture).

105. Bring a bowl of salted water, 100 ml water with 1 tablespoon salt.

106, 107, 108. Take kibbeh ball, moistening your hands with water as you work.

109, 110, 111, 112. Knead the ball, and reshape into a ball.

113 to 122. Hold the ball in one hand and insert index finger of other hand into center to form a hole. Shape into a thin-walled shell about 1/8 inch thick (0.3 cm). Mend any cracks in shell with a moistened finger.

123, 124. Fill hole with 1 tablespoon of the filling.

125, 126. Press the filling using a spoon.

127, 128. Moisten edges of opening, then gather edges together to seal.

129 to 136. Gently form kibbeh into the shape of a ball.

 137, 138, 139, 140. Press your finger gently into the centre of each kibbeh ball to make an indentation.

141, 142. Repeat shaping with remaining dough and filling to make 13 shaped balls in all.

143, 144. Place kibbeh balls on the prepared baking sheet.

145. Measure 100 g ghee in a bowl.

146, 147. Add 1/8 teaspoon black pepper to ghee.

148. Stir to mix.

149, 150, 151, 152. Add a generous dollop of ghee to each stuffed kibbeh ball.

153, 154. Bake in preheated oven at 300 – 355 °F (150 – 180 °C) for 25 minutes or until golden brown in color and the kibbeh balls are set.

155, 156. During baking, 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.

157, 158. Let baked kibbeh stands 5 minutes on baking sheet, then remove to a plate.

159, 160, 161, 162. Fill each hole with crushed pistachio.

163, 164. Transfer into a serving plate, and serve.

165. 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 Eswaret As-Set

From: Chef Mohammad Orfali / Servings: 3 People
PDF Text Only / Print With Images

Kibbeh Dough 150 g fine brown bulgur wheat 1/4 cup water, divided 1/2 medium red onion, cut into quarters 1/2 tsp ground Aleppo pepper less than 1/8 tsp al-bhar al-halabi 1/2 tsp salt 75 g fat free ground lamb meat Filling 1/2 tbsp ghee, for nuts 30 g almond halves 30 g pistachio halves 1/2 tbsp ghee, for meat 175 g fat free ground lamb meat 1/2 tsp salt less than 1/8 tsp al-bhar al-halabi less than 1/8 tsp black pepper Making Kibbeh 1 tsp ghee, to brush baking sheet Salted water, 100 ml water with 1 tbsp salt 100 g ghee with 1/8 tsp black pepper, to brush kibbeh Garnish 15 g crushed pistachio To Serve Salad Laban ‘ayran (yogurt drink)

Kibbeh Dough Measure 150 g fine brown bulgur wheat, and rinse it in three changes of water. Put rinsed bulgur wheat in a bowl, and add 1/8 cup water to it. Cut 1/2 medium red onion into quarters. Add onion quarters to bulgur. Add 1/2 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper, less than 1/8 teaspoon al-bhar al-halabi (bahr al-daqqa al-halabi), and 1/2 teaspoon salt to bulgur. Set aside in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 hours. After 1 1/2 hours, add 1/8 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 75 g fat free ground lamb meat, and set aside. The Bulgur mixture 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 75 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 pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon ghee. Add 30 g almond halves and fry until golden brown in color, and set aside. To same ghee, add 30 g pistachio halves and fry until golden brown in color, and set aside. In a deep pot, heat 1/2 tablespoon ghee. Add 175 g fat free ground lamb meat to ghee. Brown the meat. Season the meat with 1/2 teaspoon salt, less than 1/8 teaspoon al-bhar al-halabi (bahr al-daqqa al-halabi), and less than 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Add nuts to meat, stir and transfer into a plate and set aside to slightly cool. Making Kibbeh Bring round baking sheet with 8 inch (20 cm) diameter, and brush with 1 teaspoon ghee. Bring kibbeh dough and knead. Divide it into balls, each ball equals to 25 grams. Bring the filling (meat mixture). Bring a bowl of salted water, 100 ml water with 1 tablespoon salt. Take kibbeh ball, moistening your hands with water as you work. Knead the ball, and reshape into a ball. Hold the ball in one hand and insert index finger of other hand into center to form a hole. Shape into a thin-walled shell about 1/8 inch thick (0.3 cm). Mend any cracks in shell with a moistened finger. Fill hole with 1 tablespoon of the filling. Press the filling using a spoon. Moisten edges of opening, then gather edges together to seal. Gently form kibbeh into the shape of a ball. Press your finger gently into the centre of each kibbeh ball to make an indentation. Repeat shaping with remaining dough and filling to make 13 shaped balls in all. Place kibbeh balls on the prepared baking sheet. Measure 100 g ghee in a bowl. Add 1/8 teaspoon black pepper to ghee. Stir to mix. Add a generous dollop of ghee to each stuffed kibbeh ball. Bake in preheated oven at 300 – 355 °F (150 – 180 °C) for 25 minutes or until golden brown in color and the kibbeh balls are set. During baking, 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. Let baked kibbeh stands 5 minutes on baking sheet, then remove to a plate. Fill each hole with crushed pistachio. Transfer into a serving plate, and serve. 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 got 13 pieces of kibbeh. 12 pieces with size 25 grams, and one piece smaller in size.

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
Making Kibbeh Eswaret As-Set

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 30th, 2017 at 7:56 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.