Kubbeh, the Middle Eastern ‘meal in one’ is enjoyed broadly from Morocco to Kurdistan. Kubbeh is seasoned mincemeat (a vegetarian option can be done with mushrooms) buried in dough made of bulgur wheat, semolina, flour and oil. It can be enjoyed in soups or deep fried. Its origins remain elusive: Wikipedia awards it to the Arabs, but I think it more likely to have originated further north of Arabia, because the ingredients come from Greece, Anatolia and Kurdistan.
Bulgur wheat is made using a three- to four-thousand-year-old process referenced in the Old Testament and prepared by ancient Hebrews, Hittites and Babylonians, who were indigenous to the middle and northern reaches of the Middle East.
Fried kubbeh is probably one of antiquity’s great takeaway foods and remains equally popular well into the 21st century.
Ingredients for dough: (makes about 30 kubbehs)
- 500 g fine bulgur wheat
- 1 L cold water
- 1 cup white flour
- 1 cup semolina flour
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp turmeric
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Method:
Soak the bulgur in the cold water for half an hour, sieve, then mix all the ingredients, preferably in a mixer using the paddle attachment, for at least 7 minutes to build the gluten and elasticity. Ball and place in a covered bowl for at least half an hour or until needed.
Make your filling. If mince, use about 400 g: fry some diced onion and add mince, tomato paste, cumin, pepper, salt and a pinch of cinnamon. Stir until cooked and add in 1 crushed clove of garlic at the end. For a vegetarian option: pan fry two punnets of mushrooms with diced onion, a little finely diced rosemary and one clove of minced garlic. Add a touch of balsamic vinegar towards the end. Let the mix cool and chop it up a little.
Either using your finger or a small cucumber, work a clump of dough into a cylinder at least 5–6 cm long. Try to get the dough as thin as possible. Use a teaspoon to add enough filling into the casing then close the end by pinching it shut.
Kubbeh can be frozen to be used at another time.
To deep fry, use a small saucepan to get the depth required without needing too much oil. When oil reaches deep-fry temperature (about 160-170°C), put in several kubbehs at a time until golden brown.
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