Kibbeh Nayyeh Balls (Fried)

Ingredients

Outer kibbeh dough

• 200 g fine bulgur wheat (#1 - sold as fine bulgur at Middle Eastern shops)
• 300 ml cold water (for soaking)
• 400 g very lean lamb (or beef, leg, trimmed of all fat; the leanness is key for the dough)
• 1 onion (small, rough chunks)
• 1 ½ teaspoons Baharat
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 60 ml ice water (for processing)

Filling

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion (medium, finely diced)
• 300 g fattier lamb mince (20% fat)
• 1 ½ teaspoons Baharat
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 60 g pine nuts (toasted)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)

For frying

• 1 litre vegetable oil

Yogurt-mint sauce

• 250 g Greek yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves (crushed to a paste with ¼ teaspoon salt)
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint (chopped) or 1 tablespoon dried mint
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

To serve

• Lemon wedges
• A dish of Aleppo pepper (small)

Method

Stage 1 - Soak the bulgur

1. Pour cold water over the bulgur; soak 15 minutes; drain through a sieve; squeeze handfuls dry between palms.

Stage 2 - Filling

1. Heat olive oil; sauté onion 6 minutes until soft.
2. Add fattier mince; brown 6 minutes.
3. Stir in baharat, allspice, cinnamon, salt and pepper; cook 1 minute.
4. Off heat; stir in toasted pine nuts and parsley.
5. Cool fully - warm filling tears the dough.

Stage 3 - Outer dough

1. In a food processor, blitz lean meat, onion chunks, baharat, allspice, salt and pepper for 30 seconds to a smooth paste.
2. Add the squeezed bulgur.
3. Pulse 10 times while drizzling in ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a smooth slightly tacky dough that holds together when squeezed.
4. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

Stage 4 - Shape

1. Wet hands with cold water (essential - keeps the dough from sticking).
2. Take 35 g of dough; roll into a ball.
3. Press a finger into the centre; turn the ball on the finger to hollow it into a cup with thin walls.
4. Drop 1 ½ teaspoons of cool filling into the cup.
5. Pinch the top closed; roll between palms into a pointed football shape (American football / rugby ball - about 6 cm long with pointed tips).
6. Set on a tray. Repeat for all 18.

Stage 5 - Fry

1. Heat oil to 175°C.
2. Fry 4-5 balls at a time, 3-4 minutes, turning, until amber-gold.
3. Lift onto kitchen paper.

Stage 6 - Yogurt-mint sauce

1. Whisk yogurt with garlic-salt paste, mint and olive oil.

Stage 7 - Serve

1. Pile the warm fried kibbeh on a plate.
2. Yogurt-mint sauce in a small bowl.
3. Lemon wedges and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper.