Fried Kibbeh Balls

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Pastry Filling

1. 1
   Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveFrying pan
2. 2
   Add the onion and fry 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 3
   Raise the heat to medium-high and add the meat. Press it flat over the bottom and leave it for 2–3 minutes without stirring, until a brown crust forms.

   Stove

   💡Brown ground beef in the pot without pressing it: leave it as one 'cake' for a few minutes until a brown crust forms, then break it into chunks. Deep browning = deep flavor.
4. 4
   Break it up with a wooden spoon and fry for 10 more minutes, stirring, until no pink is left and the meat browns.

   StoveWooden spoon
5. 5
   Add the cumin and salt and fry another 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
6. 6
   Remove from the heat and cool the filling completely, about half an hour.

   💡Fill dough only with completely cooled filling: a hot filling softens the dough, makes it hard to seal and makes the pastry soggy inside.

To assemble

1. 7
   Soak the bulgur 20 minutes in hot water, drain and squeeze well.

   ⚙ SoakingBowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 8
   Mix the ground meat with the onion, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt and black pepper until evenly combined.
3. 9
   Add the bulgur to the meat mixture and Knead, into a smooth dough.

   ⚙ KneadingBowlStand mixer
4. 10
   Take a ball of dough, press a cup into it with your finger, fill with the cold filling and seal well.

   💡Wet your hands with cold water between one kubbeh and the next: the dough doesn't stick, and you can shape a thin, even wall.
5. 11
   Heat the oil' in a deep pot' and fry the kubbeh 4 minutes per side, until golden. Transfer to paper towels.

   ⚙ Deep-fryingStoveSlotted spoonCandy/oil thermometerDeep pot for frying

   💡A thin wall and a tight seal, with no cracks: oil that gets inside breaks the kubbeh apart.

   💡Keep the oil at 170–180°C (340–355°F): too cold, and the food soaks up oil; too hot, and it browns outside before the inside cooks. Without a thermometer, dip the tip of a wooden spoon in the oil: when medium bubbles form around it right away, the oil is hot enough.

   💡Don't overload the oil: every piece that goes in cools it down. Fry one piece as a test, then the rest in several batches, and transfer to paper towels.
6. 12
   Serve with yogurt.