Kibbeh labanieh recipe

Kibbeh labanieh

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6
Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

Kibbeh paste
1 kg white Bulgur
1 kg ground lamb (Habra)
2 red onions, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dukkah spice
Aleppo pepper
pinch of cumin

For boiling
Bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
5 cardamom
Salt

Meat filling
1 kg lamb meat, coarsely ground
1/4 cup pine nuts, fried
2 tbsp butter
1/4 teaspoon dukkah spice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder

Butter and mint filling
100 grams butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dry mint
salt (optional)

Labanieh
1 kg lamb shanks
aromatic vegetables to cook meat
3 kg yogurt
1/4 cup short grain rice
250 grams butter
2 tbsp garlic, crushed
2 tbsp dry mint
3 tbsp cornstarch

Directions

Melt 100 grams of butter in a saucepan, then add lamb shanks. Saute until golden brown.

Add salt, aromatic vegetables, cover with water until boiling. Cover the saucepan and let it boil on low heat for 90 minutes.

Meat filling: Melt butter in a saucepan, then add the meat filling, saute until the meat is well cooked. Add spices pine nuts and set aside to cool.

Butter and mint filling: In a bowl mix butter, garlic, mint and salt then place in a plastic bag. Form mixture into a roll then place it in the fridge until it cools. Cut into small cubes.

For boiling Kibbeh: In a saucepan add water, salt, bay leaves, cinammon and cardamom. Let it boil.

Mix the white bulgar with the rest of the kibbeh paste ingredients. Knead until you get a smooth dough.

Shape Kibbe paste into balls about 10 grams. Form a hole in the middle of the ball then fill the hole with 1 teaspoon of meat filling and a cube of butter and mint filling then close it, forming an oval shape kibbeh with pointed ends. Set aside on a tray.  
Note: moisturize your hands in cold water as you work in order to give a smooth finish to the kibbeh paste.

Place kibbeh in the boiling water for 1 minute.

In a saucepan add yogurt, salt and cornstarch. Stir well. Cook on low heat. Stir the yogurt continuously in the same direction until it boils and starts to thicken then add the remaining butter.

Take one liter of meat broth and put it in a saucepan on low heat then add rice, garlic and mint. Simmer until rice is cooked well. Pour over Yogurt sauce and stir.

Add lamb shanks. Before serving drop the kibbeh balls in the yogurt. Do not stir. Remove saucepan from heat. Serve immediately.