Prep 25 min cook 15 min
This recipe takes it’s cues from one Lebanon’s most popular dishes, Kibbeh Labanieh.
Minced lamb or beef and bulgur wheat are pounded into a smooth paste then made into hollow egg shaped shells which are then stuffed with spicy mince meat, onions and toasted pine nuts. They are then baked and served with warm yoghurt soup and rice for a little substance. A true, 2 1/2 hour labor of love!
Not so with this recipe which couldn’t be easier; you don’t even need to sauté the onions – just mix everything, shape into balls and cook. A quick and easy warm yoghurt soup and rice completes the dish.
Lamb And Bulgur Wheat Meatballs
by
Derek Farwagi
Ingredients
For the rice
- ½ Cup Rice
- ¾ Cup Water
For the meat balls
- ¼ cup Medium grade bulgur wheat
- ¼ cup Finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Ground cardamom seeds
- ½ lb Ground lamb For less rich meatballs mix 1/4lb of ground lamb with a 1/4lb ground veal which is a leaner meat.
- 4 tbsp Coarsley chopped flat leaf parsley
- Salt and pepper
For the hot yoghurt soup
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- 1 cup Plain yoghurt (not Greek yoghurt which is too thick).
- 2 tsp Cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp water White flour could also work but add enough water to make the flour mix runny.
- 2 tsp Dried crushed mint.
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
The rice - 15/20 min
- Start by steaming the rice as you would usually do, then it fluffed up and set aside.
The meatballs - 20 min
- While the rice is cooking, half-fill a small saucepan with cold water, bring to a boil, and cook the bulgur until the grains are tender (about 8-10 minutes). Drain in a sieve or colander and set aside until dry:
- In a large bowl add the ground meat, chopped onion, parsley, ground cumin, ground cardamom seeds, garlic, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and of pepper. Add the cooked bulgar wheat and using your hands (with gloves if necessary) mix well to combine.
- Divide the mix into 1” diameter meat balls.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high flame, then fry the meatballs, turning them regularly, for eight to 10 minutes, until golden-brown all over. Set aside on kitchen towel. CHECK ON THE RICE
The hot yoghurt soup -10 min
- In a small saucepan, add broth, juice of one lemon, a crushed garlic clove and bring to a simmer. Whisk cornstarch until mixture thickens slightly.
- Turn heat down to low and add a cup of yogurt. Whisk until yogurt is heated through and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Do not let mixture boil otherwise the yoghurt will curdle.
- Add dried mint and salt to taste.
- Return meat balls to the hot yoghurt soup and cook on a low heat for 1-2 minutes to warm them up.
- Serve in a large serving bowl or in individual bowls. Garnish with shredded fresh mint and nuts ( optional - toasted pine nuts or coarsely chopped walnuts) with steamed rice on the side. Add as much rice to the soup as you wish to give it a little substance.
Notes
If you wish, you can prep and roll the meatballs well in advance; that way you can have the whole dish ready and on the table within 15 minutes later in the day.
Nutrition
Calories: 649kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 29gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 566mgPotassium: 711mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 139IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 210mgIron: 4mg
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