*A variety of dishes made with bulgur and minced meat are called kibbeh, with alternative spellings of kibbe, kebbeh, kubba, kubbi, kubba, and quibe. Look for a spice mix with any of these spellings, or make your own spice mix from recipes online.
**Ziyad and Bob’s Red Mill are common brands of bulgur/bulgar wheat. #1 refers to fine texture; #2 and #3 are more coarse.
Hashweh filling: In a large skillet, toast pine nuts over medium-high heat, stirring until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer pine nuts to a small bowl to cool. In the now-empty skillet over medium heat, cook beef and onions in a tablespoon of olive oil until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Mix in kibbeh spices, garam masala, salt, and
the toasted pine nuts.
Kibbeh mixture: In a medium bowl, mix bulgur wheat and water. Let sit 10 minutes, stirring occasionally as the bulgur absorbs the water and becomes fluffy. In a food processor, mince the quartered onion, mint, kibbeh spices, cumin, garam masala, and salt. Add beef and bulgur, blending until a meat paste forms.
Preheat oven to 400 F and grease a 10-inch round deep baking dish with olive oil. Spread a bit less than half the kibbeh mixture (raw meat) on the bottom, pressing evenly to the edges. Spread the hashweh filling (cooked meat) evenly on top, then top with remaining kibbeh mixture, pressing to fill in gaps (oil hands a bit if mixture is sticky). Score top with diagonal lines to form a diamond pattern. Decorate with pine nuts, then bake 40 to 45 minutes, until meat is fully cooked (160 F). Traditionally served with yogurt sauce or a fattoush salad.
Per serving: 314 calories, 11 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat), 25 grams total carbohydrates, 670 milligrams sodium, 70 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams fiber, 29 grams protein.
