Fried Potato Kibbeh Balls…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
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.
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Instructions
No Steps Found !
- Course : APPETIZERS
- Recipe Type : APPETIZERS, APPETIZERS, LEBANESE RECIPES
About Chef
Hadia Zebib
I am Hadia, the face behind Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine. I grew up in Beirut Lebanon and I currently reside in Kinshasa, Congo with my husband and my three adorable sons, ...
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