Express Sheet Pan Kibbeh / Kibbeh Seniyeh
Seniyeh means a tray in Arabic and kibbeh is one of those Levantine dishes when craved you want it now. I have vivid memories of my belated grandmother sitting in the courtyard with a huge stone pestle and mortar (JIRN). She would pound the meat to where it’s like butter, then slowly add the bulger while pounding along. This was almost a day’s job by the time the kibbeh made it to the table.
Kibbeh is formed and cooked in many ways. The traditional shape for fried kibbeh or kibbeh labanieh (cooked in yogurt) is that of an American football ball shape, but far smaller. It also comes flat or rolled in a swirl and baked in the oven (kibbeh bil saynieh). The texture of kibbeh changes depending on what the dough consists of. The traditional dough is made from bulgur (cracked wheat) and meat or it could be rice and meat or even vegan.
This kibbeh seniyeh recipe is so fast to prepare without the need to use a meat grinder to run the mix through hence I called it express. It takes under 15 minutes to prepare, half an hour to bake and at your table ready to eat under 1 hour. We love having this kibbeh with Lentil soup and a squeeze of lemon.
Don’t forget to share your photos of the dish with me.
Ingredients:
Yield: 2 trays
For the kibbeh dough:
500 grams lean minced beef
500 grams fine bulgur
1/4 cup onion, pureed
2 tablespoons dried mint
2 teaspoons seven spice
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Himalayan salt
For the base:
5 onions, sliced wings
2 tablespoons sumac
1/3 cups pine nuts
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Method:
* Preheat oven to 200 C fan setting.
* Soak the bulgur in cold water for 5 minutes then squeeze with the hands to get rid of any absorbed water.
* Place all the ingredients for making the kibbeh in a glass bowl including the bulgur.
* In another bowl have ready some ice water and slowly add a bit with your hands to help moisten the kibbeh and soften it.
* When you are able to make a ball with no cracks then it is ready for the next step. Cover until ready to use.
* Fry the sliced onions in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat turning for 8 minutes until golden. Add the pine nuts and sumac and leave to cool.
* Split the onion mix between two 35x25 cm oven trays and scatter it around to cover the base.
* Split the kibbeh mix into two parts and use one part for each tray.
* Take a tennis size ball of the kibbeh and flatten it with the palm of the hand to a thickness of 1 cm then press it over the onions. Start from the side nearest to you and continue until the dough is finished and the onions are totally covered.
* Wet the palm of the hand with the ice water and smooth the surface of the kibbeh.
* With a blunt knife cut through the kibbeh to make either square or diamond shapes.
* Coat the surface with a generous amount of vegetable oil and place in the oven on fan setting for 20 minutes then place under the top grill until the surface is slightly browned.
Tips:
* Coat with vegetable oil and place covered in the fridge until ready to bake.
* The trays can be frozen then baked from frozen allowing an extra 10 minutes to the initial baking time.
Per Serving: 3509 Calories; 129g Fat (32.1% calories from fat); 178g Protein; 439g Carbohydrate; 105g Dietary Fibre; 305mg Cholesterol; 6749mg Sodium.