Recipe: Kibbeh with garlic-mint labneh from the Middle East
For Erin Groot’s new cookbook, Easy Middle Eastern, her six new neighbors from the Middle East were her source of inspiration. Like Ahmad, the baker who makes the most divine baklava, or Yoones, who loves nothing more than his mother’s aubergine stew. Their stories and the fantastic flavors of the Middle East form the basis for these easy-to-make recipes, such as this kibbeh with garlic-mint labneh. An extra special detail: the proceeds from the book will be donated to Movement on the Ground, an organization committed to supporting refugees.
Erin: “Kibbeh is a favorite snack of many of our new neighbors. Syrian Wafaa likes to add walnuts to these crispy stuffed bulgur meatballs for extra flavor. Always a success when she goes on a picnic with her family!”
How to make the garlic-mint labneh
- Wet a clean cheesecloth or tea towel, place it in a sieve and hang it over a bowl. Pour the yogurt into the cloth, fold it closed and place the whole thing in the refrigerator. Leave it for 8 hours so the whey drips out of the yogurt. The longer it remains in the refrigerator, the thicker the labneh will become.
- Peel and crush the garlic for the labneh. Finely chop the mint and parsley.
- Spoon the thick, drained yogurt from the cloth into a bowl, stir in the garlic, parsley and mint, and season with pepper and salt. Serve the labneh with a drizzle of olive oil and some extra fresh mint.
Tip: No time to let the yogurt drain for 8 hours? Mix the yogurt directly with the parsley, mint and garlic instead. Use the juice of 1 lemon for an extra fresh touch!
How to make the kibbeh
- Peel and finely chop the onions and crush the garlic. Finely chop the walnuts. Prepare the bulgur according to the instructions on the package, drain in a sieve, press out as much moisture as possible with the back of a spoon and leave to cool.
- Use the food processor to make the dough for the outside of the kibbeh. Finely grind the bulgur together with the ground meat, onion, cinnamon and allspice. Season with a generous pinch of salt and set aside in the refrigerator until needed.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling by heating a splash of oil in a frying pan. Sauté the onion together with the garlic for 2 minutes, then add the ground meat, allspice, chili powder, cinnamon and cumin. Brown the meat until it falls completely apart, add the walnuts and continue cooking, stirring, for another 4 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Take the dough for the outside out of the refrigerator, wet your hands slightly, take a ball of dough the size of a small egg and knead it into a flat oval shape. Press a slight indentation into the center with your thumb and spoon half a tablespoon of filling into it. Fold the dough around it and gently press it closed into an oval ball. Repeat this step until all the dough and filling have been used. Keep moistening your hands with water in between so the dough does not stick to your hands.
- Heat the oil to 180 degrees and deep-fry the kibbeh for 3 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Drain briefly on a piece of paper towel and serve immediately with the garlic-mint labneh.
Title: Easy Middle Eastern
Author: Erin Groot
Price: €30
Publisher: Brandt Publishing
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