AI-generated image
Kibbeh bil sanieh
Kibbeh bil sanieh: Lebanese baked tray kibbeh of bulgur and lamb with a spiced pine-nut filling
When a Lebanese family is expecting a crowd for Sunday lunch, out comes the round tray of kibbeh bil sanieh, cut into diamonds before baking so everyone can lift a neat piece. Two layers of lamb and fine bulgur kneaded with onion and spices sandwich a filling of minced lamb fried with onions and toasted pine nuts; the top bakes crisp and brown while the inside stays moist. Serve it warm or at room temperature with yoghurt, cucumber salad or fattoush. Common mistake: using coarse bulgur, which won't bind; you need fine bulgur (number 1). Chef's tip: dip your hands in iced water while you press the top layer — it smooths the surface and stops the mixture sticking.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the kibbeh shell
For the filling
To bake
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Rinse 9 oz fine bulgur in a sieve, then leave it to soak in cold water for 15 minutes. Squeeze out as much water as you can.
15 minStep 2: For the filling, fry 1 ¾ oz pine nuts in a dry pan over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes until golden, then tip out.
3 minStep 3: Brown 10 ½ oz lamb mince in the same pan over a high heat, breaking it up, for 6 minutes. Add 2 onions and cook for 8 minutes until soft and the meat is cooked through with no pink. Stir in 1 tsp Lebanese seven-spice (baharat), ¾ tsp salt, 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses and the pine nuts. Cool.
14 minStep 4: Knead 1 ⅛ lb lean lamb mince with the bulgur, 1 onion, 2 tsp Lebanese seven-spice (baharat) and 2 tsp salt in a big bowl (or pulse in a food processor), adding ½ cup iced water a little at a time, for about 5 minutes until it forms a smooth, pliable paste.
Step 5: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). Brush a 30 cm round tin or 25 × 30 cm tray with 1 ½ tbsp olive oil. Press half the kibbeh paste into the base in an even 1 cm layer.
Step 6: Spread the filling evenly over the base and press it down lightly.
Step 7: Flatten the rest of the paste into patties between wet palms and lay them over the filling, joining and smoothing them with wet hands into an even top layer.
Step 8: Cut through both layers into diamonds with a wet knife, push a finger into the centre of each piece and pour the rest of 3 ½ tbsp olive oil evenly over the top.
Step 9: Bake for 35–40 minutes until the top is deep brown and the edges pull away from the tin; the centre should read at least 160°F. Rest 10 minutes before lifting out the pieces.
40 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kibbeh bil sanieh take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek
Tteokgalbi
Tteokgalbi is rib meat chopped finely, pressed back into neat slabs and grilled, so it's soft enough to eat without struggling with a bone. Two places in South Jeolla claim it: Damyang, the bamboo county, where all-beef patties come with rice steamed in bamboo tubes, and Gwangju's Songjeong district, whose restaurant street near the railway station mixes beef with pork. This home version uses minced beef and pork, seasoned with soy, garlic and pear, then brushed with a soy and honey glaze as it cooks. Serve with rice, lettuce and a few banchan; leftovers are good cold in a lunchbox. Chef's tip: slap the mince against the bowl for a few minutes; it turns sticky and the patties hold together on the grill without any breadcrumbs.
Korean
Char siu
Hanging in long glossy strips in the windows of Guangzhou's siu mei shops, char siu is the roast pork Cantonese families pick up on the way home to put on rice, noodles or into steamed buns. The outside is lacquered, sweet and a little charred at the edges; the inside stays juicy, savoury and faintly scented with five-spice. Shoulder (pork butt) is the cut to use, because its marbling keeps the strips moist through a hot oven. Marinate it overnight in the fridge, roast it the next day and eat it warm with steamed rice and blanched greens, or cold in fried rice and noodle soups. Chef's tip: save the honey for the last ten minutes; brushed on at the start it burns black long before the pork is cooked.
Chinese