Fried Potato Kibbeh Balls

Almost every family has a treasured recipe, and best recipes are those that are passed down from one generation to another. Today, I am sharing with you a precious recipe passed down to me by my grandma – on my father’s side. I had lots of memories of it as a child. Fried Potato Kibbeh Balls! The outer shell is made with mashed potatoes andfine bulgur. The dough is stuffed with a filling of minced beef or lamb and walnuts, seasoned with sumac, allspice, cinnamon powder and chili flakes. I am pretty sure that you are all familiar with the meat kibbeh balls, but these are equally tasty (if not better). A good potato kibbeh should be crispy on the outside and moist inside. The recipe may sound time-consuming, but these kibbeh balls are definitely worth it. Making an oval shaped kibbeh may be challenging a bit, but may be mastered with a few tries. These kibbeh balls freeze perfectly and can go directly from freezerto fryer. The recipe makes about 30 pieces.

Ingredients:

400g./14 oz. potatoes

21/2 cups fine bulgur

½ cup boiling water, to knead the bulgur

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder

¼ teaspoon cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon chili flakes, optional

Stuffing ingredients:

200g. /7 oz. minced beef or lamb

4 medium-sized onions, finely chopped

Salt to taste

¼ cup canola oil

½ teaspoon sumac, optional

A dash of white pepper

A dash of cinnamon powder

¾ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

A dash of chili flakes, optional

Canola oil, for deep frying

Directions:

• Mix the fine bulgur with boiling water.
• In the meantime, place the onion, black pepper, cinnamon powder, cumin powder and chili flakes in a food processor and blend. Add this mix to the soaked bulgur and set aside for 1 hour.
• Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot and then reduce heat to low and cook until tender for about 30 minutes. Drain and cool.
• Peel the potatoes and mash using a ricer or a potato masher. Set aside.
• After 1 hour, knead the soaked bulgur while gradually adding ½ cup of cold water. Knead for about 15 minutes (the more you knead the better the result). The bulgur should be much softer at this point.
• Add the mashed potatoes and salt to the bulgur and knead well until the mixture is fully integrated.

Now prepare the stuffing:

• Place the ground meat in a skillet over medium heat. Add the canola oil and sauté the meat for 7-10 minutes.
• Add the onions and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
• Add the salt, sumac, white pepper, cinnamon powder and chili flakes. Mix well and add the roughly chopped walnuts. Set aside to cool down.

Putting it together:

• Once the filling has cooled down to room temperature, we can start working with potato kibbeh dough.
• Divide the kibbeh dough to small balls roughly the size of an egg.
• Using damp hands, create a hole in each ball with your index finger.
• Gradually flatten the dough and elongate the sides. Make sure you do not tear it.
• Place one teaspoon of the filling inside and seal it. Repeat as necessary.
• Freeze the potato kibbeh balls for at least 30 minutes before frying.
• Heat up the canola oil in a deep fryer to an adequate frying temperatue and fry every 4 together.
• Cook to crispy and brown (about 10 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Serve warm.

Tips for successful potato kibbeh balls:

• Soak bulgur in boiling water for crispy potato kibbeh balls
• Knead the bulgur thoroughly with your hands and never use a food processor.
• Mash the potatoes using a ricer or a potato masher, and never use a food processor.
• Freeze the potato kibbeh balls for a minimum of 40 minutes before frying (to help the kibbeh balls firm up a bit).
• Oil should be so hot when frying the balls.
• Do not fry all the potato kibbeh at once, this will reduce the temperature of the oil. Fry every four pieces to avoid a mushy kibbeh.​