Fried Potato Kibbeh Balls
Description
The outer shell is made with mashed potatoes and kneaded with fine bulgur. The dough is stuffed with a filling of minced beef or lamb and walnuts, seasoned with sumac, allspice, cinnamon powder and chili flakes
Ingredients
For the potato bulgur dough:
- 2 cups fine bulgur
- 1 potato 250 grams/ 9 oz
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 1/4 cups ice water
- 1 leveled teaspoon 7 spice
- 1 leveled teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 leveled teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 /2 teaspoon freshly grated white pepper
- 1 leveled teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 leveled teaspoon dried basil
- 1 leveled teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
For the vegan filling:
- 2 cups canned chickpeas drained
- 1 kg/2lb 4 oz. red or yellow onions julienne
- 2 tablespoons sumac
- 4 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 cups of clean and shredded sorrels Swiss chard or spinach
For the meat filling
- 500 grams/ 1 lb 2 oz minced veal or lamb
- 3 large onions finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- A dash of cayenne pepper optional
- 1/3 cup pine nuts or roughly chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil or ghee
- sunflower oil or any neutral oil for deep frying
Instructions
For the Vegan filling:
- In a skillet, add the olive oil and onions. Sauté the onions over high heat until they become translucent.
- Add the chickpeas and shredded Swiss chard to the onions and cook for additional 2 minutes.
- Add the sumac, pomegranate molasses, cayenne pepper, and cumin powder. Cook for one additional minute, place the mixture in a bowl and let it cool down completely.
For the meat filling:
- Add 1/4 cup of oil to a skillet and place over medium heat. Saute the pine nuts until it turns golden in color. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- Using the same oil saute the minced meat and cook over medium-high heat about seven to 10 minutes until the meat is browned and the juices have evaporated.
- Add the onions and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat. Add the salt, sumac, allspice, white pepper and cayenne if used. Add the toasted pine nuts, mix well and set aside to completely cool down.
To make the potato kibbeh dough:
- Place the fine bulgur in a large bowl and add the boiling water, stir well, cover with cling film and leave for 40 minutes, allowing the bulgur grains to hydrate and swell. This is an important step
- Meanwhile, place the potato in a small pot cover with water, bring to a boil, cover up and cook over low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes until fork tender.
- After 40 minutes, knead the bulgur while gradually adding the ice water until you end up with a cohesive ball, watch the video tutorial.
- Peel the potato and mash with a fork while it is still hot, add to the bulgur and stir in the cornstarch, 7 spice, cinnamon powder, cumin powder, white pepper, dried basil, paprika, dried marjoram and salt to taste, knead well until the mixture is fully integrated and the dough is soft and comes together in a cohesive ball. Now our potato kibbeh dough is ready.
To put together, choose one of the two fillings:
- Dampen your hands with some ice water and grab a handful of the raw kibbeh (the size of an egg).
- Working with one portion at a time, dig in you finger to make a hole, and work around the hole by pressing your finger to create a thin wall. The wall should be to a thickness of 2mm on all sides (watch the video tutorial) and place 1 heaped teaspoon of the stuffing. Seal and shape the dough into an oval, add a touch of cold water if needed to keep it smooth with no pokes or openings. Set the kibbeh balls on a tray as you make them. Freeze the potato kibbeh balls for at least 30 minutes before frying.
Fry the potato kibbeh balls:
- Heat oil to an adequate frying temperature (170°C/ 340 °F), (there shouldbe enough oil to cover the kibbeh while they’re frying) and deep fry the kibbeh in batches (don’t crowd the frying pan to avoid a mushy kibbeh), until it is browned from all sides. It takes about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve warm or cold. Watch the detailed video tutorial below.
Video
Notes
The recipe for the “Fried Potato Kibbeh Balls” was posted on June 2014, the photos and text were updated on July, 2024!
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