Lebanese

Kibbeh Labaniyeh

Tender stuffed kibbeh are simmered in a warm, tangy yogurt sauce scented with garlic and dried mint. This Lebanese dish is comforting and precise, with the kibbeh holding its shape in the creamy laban.

▶Watch it madeVincenzo's Plate · 11:15

Ingredients

• Fine bulgur1/2 cup
• Very lean lamb or beef, finely ground180g
• Yellow onion, grated and squeezed1/2 small
• Kibbeh spice or Lebanese 7-spice3/4 tsp
• Ground cumin1/4 tsp
• Salt1 1/4 tsp, divided
• Ice water3 to 4 tbsp
• Ground lamb or beef for stuffing120g
• Yellow onion, finely chopped1/2 small
• Pine nuts2 tbsp
• Unsalted butter or ghee2 tbsp, divided
• Black pepper1/4 tsp
• Plain full-fat yogurt or Lebanese laban2 cups
• Egg white1
• Cornstarch1 tsp
• Water or light meat stock1/2 cup
• Garlic cloves, crushed2
• Dried mint1 tsp

Method

1. Rinse the fine bulgur briefly, drain well, and let it soften for 10 minutes until just pliable but not wet.
2. Make the stuffing by melting 1 tablespoon butter or ghee in a small pan, toasting the pine nuts until golden, then removing them to a plate.
3. In the same pan, cook the chopped onion until soft, add the 120g ground meat, 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon kibbeh spice, and fry until the meat is browned and dry.
4. Stir the toasted pine nuts into the cooked stuffing, then let it cool completely.
5. Make the kibbeh shell by kneading the softened bulgur with the lean finely ground meat, grated onion, cumin, remaining kibbeh spice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
6. Dip your hands in ice water and continue kneading until the mixture becomes smooth, sticky, and paste-like, adding only enough ice water to keep it workable.
7. Divide the kibbeh mixture into 8 small balls, then shape each one with a wet finger into a hollow oval cup.
8. Fill each kibbeh with a small spoonful of stuffing, pinch closed firmly, and roll into a smooth torpedo or oval shape with sealed ends.
9. Bring a small pot of salted water to a gentle simmer and poach the kibbeh for 5 to 6 minutes, until they firm up and float, then lift them out carefully.
10. Whisk the yogurt, egg white, cornstarch, 1/2 cup water or stock, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a saucepan until completely smooth.
11. Set the yogurt over medium heat and stir constantly in one direction with a wooden spoon until it comes to a gentle boil and thickens slightly.
12. Lower the heat, add the poached kibbeh to the yogurt sauce, and simmer very gently for 10 minutes without letting the sauce boil hard.
13. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter or ghee in a small pan, add the crushed garlic, and cook just until fragrant without browning.
14. Stir in the dried mint for a few seconds, then pour the garlic-mint butter into the yogurt sauce.
15. Rest the kibbeh labaniyeh for 5 minutes, then serve hot in shallow bowls with the yogurt sauce spooned generously over the kibbeh.

Common questions