Kibbeh is a Middle Eastern dish consisting of beef mixed with cracked wheat & spices. It can be formed into a football shape that is stuffed with spiced beef and deep fried or layered in a baking dish and baked in the oven.
For this version of kibbeh, I made the outer layers using pureed pumpkin. It’s such a great warm dish to have in the fall especially with all the pumpkins laying around.
Ingredients
For the outer layers:
2.5 cups pumpkin purée
3 cups fine bulgur
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp 7 spices (allspice)
1.5 tsp salt
For the filling:
400g ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp 7 spices (allspice)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°
Slice pumpkin in the middle and lay flesh side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes.
Remove skin then blend in a food processor until smooth.
In a mixing bowl, to create the layers, mix bulgur, pumpkin purée, flour and spices until combined
If the dough feels too sticky, add another tablespoon of flour, set aside
In a skillet, sauté onion until softened, add ground beef & spices, cook until beef is fully cooked, set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 400°
Grease a 14” round baking dish with butter or oil
Spread half of the pumpkin dough across the bottom of the pan
Spread beef mixture (optional: add chopped walnuts)
Spread the remaining dough over the beef and smooth it out by wetting your hands with water
Cut to desired pattern
Spread 3 tbsp olive oil over entire kibbeh
Bake for 30-35 min, then broil for 3-4 min to slightly brown the top
Serve warm