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Kubbeh selek
Beetroot soup with meat dumplings
Kubbeh selek (כובה סלק): Kurdish-Jewish sweet-sour beetroot soup with semolina meat dumplings
IsraeliKubbeh selek is the deep magenta sister of the lemon kubbeh soups, a Kurdish-Jewish Friday dish that Jerusalem kubbeh houses around Mahane Yehuda serve on winter days alongside the yellow hamusta. Beetroot, tomato and a little sugar and lemon give a broth that is sweet and sour at once, and the semolina dumplings stuffed with beef soak up its colour as they simmer. A bowl of white rice on the side is traditional. The mistake most people make is boiling the beetroot too long, which dulls the colour to brown; add the final grated beetroot near the end. Chef's tip: wear gloves when grating beetroot, and keep your semolina hands wet, not floured, for thin, crack-free shells.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dumplings
- 10 ½ oz fine semolina
- ¾ cup warm water
- ½ tsp salt
- 10 ½ oz minced beef
- 1 oniongrated and squeezed
- 2 tbsp parsleyfinely chopped
- 1 tsp baharat
- ½ tsp salt
For the soup
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 ⅓ lb raw beetrootpeeled; 500 g diced, 100 g grated
- 2 celery stickssliced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 8 ¼ cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz fine semolina, ½ tsp salt and ¾ cup warm water to a soft dough, cover and rest for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 2: Mix 10 ½ oz minced beef, 1 onion, 2 tbsp parsley, 1 tsp baharat and ½ tsp salt and chill until needed.
Step 3: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot over a medium heat and fry 1 onion and 4 garlic cloves for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
6 minStep 4: Add the diced part of 1 ⅛ lb raw beetroot, 2 celery sticks, 8 ¼ cups chicken stock, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt. Simmer for 20 minutes until the beetroot is just tender.
20 minStep 5: Shape the kubbeh: with wet hands flatten walnut-sized balls of dough into thin 7 cm discs, fill each with a teaspoon of meat, seal and flatten slightly. Makes about 24.
Step 6: Lower them into the simmering soup and cook gently for 20 minutes, until they float and the shells are soft. Check one: the meat should be cooked through with no pink (160°F).
20 minStep 7: Stir in the grated 3 ⅛ oz raw beetroot and ½ cup lemon juice and simmer for 3 minutes to brighten the colour. Taste for a balance of sweet and sour and serve hot with rice.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kubbeh selek take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 60 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 parsley?
- Fresh coriander or chives, same amount.
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