Semolina Kubbeh Stuffed with Meat

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Pastry Filling

1. 1
   Heat the olive oil in a wide 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 5–7 more minutes, stirring, until no pink is left and the meat browns.

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

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
6. 6
   Add the pine nuts and pecans and mix well.

   💡Pine nuts and other nuts get a deeper flavor when you first toast them 2–3 minutes in a dry pan, until lightly golden.
7. 7
   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. 8
   Mix the semolina and salt in a bowl. Gradually add the water and Knead into a smooth, soft dough. Let rest 15 minutes.

   ⚙ KneadingBowlStand mixer

   💡Resting lets the semolina absorb the water, so the dough becomes pliable and doesn't crack when you shape it.
2. 9
   With wet hands, take a ball of dough the size of golf ball, make a hollow in the center, place a teaspoon of cooled filling in it and close into an egg shape.

   💡Wet hands don't stick to semolina dough, so you can shape a thin, even wall around the filling.
3. 10
   Bring the chicken soup to a boil in a pot, add the kubbeh and cook 20–25 minutes, until they float and are done.

   StovePot
4. 11
   Serve hot with lemon.