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Kibbeh labanieh
Kibbeh in garlic yoghurt sauce
Kibbeh labanieh: stuffed kibbeh balls simmered in a warm garlic-mint yoghurt sauce
LebaneseIn Lebanese homes, kibbeh labanieh is the dish that turns a batch of stuffed kibbeh into a comforting winter supper: the little torpedo-shaped shells of bulgur and lamb, filled with spiced mince and pine nuts, are poached in a silky yoghurt sauce scented with garlic and dried mint. It is eaten hot, ladled over vermicelli rice. The yoghurt has to be stabilised with cornflour and stirred in one direction while it heats, or it splits. Common mistake: letting the sauce boil hard before it has thickened; it curdles instantly. Chef's tip: make the kibbeh balls a day ahead and freeze them on a tray — they hold their shape better in the sauce.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the kibbeh shells
- 7 oz fine bulgur
- 14 oz lean lamb mince
- 1 onionsmall, grated and squeezed
- 1 ½ tsp Lebanese seven-spice (baharat)
- 1 ½ tsp salt
For the filling
- 7 oz lamb mince
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 oz pine nutstoasted
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
For the yoghurt sauce
- 2 ¼ lb full-fat plain yoghurt
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 1 egg
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅞ oz butter
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tbsp dried mint
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Soak 7 oz fine bulgur in cold water for 15 minutes, then squeeze dry. Knead with 14 oz lean lamb mince, 1 onion, 1 ½ tsp Lebanese seven-spice (baharat) and 1 ½ tsp salt, wetting your hands with iced water, for 5 minutes until smooth and pliable.
20 minStep 2: For the filling, brown 7 oz lamb mince and 1 onion in a pan over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until the meat is cooked through with no pink. Stir in 1 oz pine nuts and ½ tsp ground cinnamon and cool.
10 minStep 3: Take a walnut-sized piece of shell paste, roll it into a ball, push your finger in and turn it against your palm to make a thin hollow cup. Spoon in a little filling, pinch closed and shape into a small torpedo. Repeat to make about 24.
Step 4: Chill the kibbeh for 20 minutes so they firm up.
20 minStep 5: In a large heavy pan, whisk 2 ¼ lb full-fat plain yoghurt, 2 tbsp cornflour, 1 egg, 1 cup water and 1 tsp salt until smooth. Set over a medium heat and stir constantly in one direction for 10–12 minutes until it comes to a gentle simmer and thickens slightly.
12 minStep 6: Lower the kibbeh into the simmering sauce and cook very gently, shaking the pan rather than stirring, for 12–15 minutes until cooked right through (160°F in the centre of a shell).
15 minStep 7: Melt ⅞ oz butter in a small pan, fry 4 cloves garlic for 1 minute until pale gold, add 1 tbsp dried mint and pour into the sauce. Serve hot with vermicelli rice.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kibbeh labanieh take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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