Kibbeh is one of the cornerstones of the Lebanese and Levantine kitchen. I think you can fill a whole book with only kibbeh recipes and stories. With many variations in ingredients and flavours, the base is the same: a dough made with vegetables or meats mixed with bulgur. This could be eaten as is (usually fried or even with raw meat), stuffed in a pasty-like shape or, like in this recipe, as an oven dish with a lovely filling.

Kibbeh
750 gr pumpkin, cut in half en deseeded
225 gr bulgur
75 gr flour
1 onion
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt
White pepper

Filling
4 onions
75 gr cashew nuts, roasted and unsalted
65 gr pine nuts
75 gr walnuts
100 gr raisins
Olive oil
Salt

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven at 200ºC. For kibbeh place the two halves of the pumpkin in a roasting tray, skin side down, and roast for about 25 minutes until completely soft.
  2. In each half, you’ll see some water; pour it in a large bowl. Add the bulgur to the water.
  3. Scoop the pumpkin flesh and discard the skin. Mix the pumpkin with the water and bulgur.
  4. Peel and finely chop the onion.
  5. Add the onion and spices to the pumpkin and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  6. For the filling, peel and slice the onions.
  7. Heat a bit of oil in a pan and fry the onion until they start to turn golden brown.
  8. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and stir well.
  9. Preheat the oven at 200ºC. Oil a large oven dish and spread half of the kibbeh evenly.
  10. Spread the filling and top with the other half of the kibbeh.
  11. With a knife and shallow cuts, divide the top into squares and then draw different patterns in each square. This decoration is obviously optional but it’s part of what makes a kibbeh a kibbeh 😉
  12. Brush the top with a bit of oil and bake the kibbeh 30 minutes.