How to Make Homemade Vegetarian Kibbeh

Kibbeh is a Middle Eastern appetizer consisting of a spiced meatball bound with bulgur or rice. The word kibbeh comes from the Egyptian Arabic kubba, meaning “ball” or “lump.” The spiced croquette is Lebanon’s national dish and is commonly consumed throughout Syria, Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Armenia. In traditional kibbeh preparations, cooks used a stone mortar and wooden pestle to pound and combine the lamb or goat meat with bulgur until smooth. In modern preparations, a food processor is a preferred tool. Kibbeh can be meat-based or vegetarian. You can bake, fry, or make kibbeh in a raw preparation like kibbeh nayeh, which consists of minced raw meat, bulgur, puréed onion, and spices. There are many variations on the traditional recipe, including chickpea kibbeh, lentil kibbeh, pumpkin kibbeh, and gluten-free kibbeh.

Like other meatball dishes from around the world, kibbeh comes in many varieties:

1. 1. Kibbeh bil seniyeh is baked, sometimes as a casserole with layers of bulgur or mashed potatoes.
2. 2. Kibbeh hamdah is a meatball soup with a lemony broth and vegetables.
3. 3. Kibbeh nayeh is raw kibbeh. The raw meat is typically seasoned with fresh basil or mint leaves and served with tomatoes, chiles, scallions, onions.
4. 4. Kibbeh labanieh is a dumpling dish featuring kibbeh balls stuffed with pine nuts, onion, and ground meat, cooked in labanieh, a garlicky yogurt sauce.
5. 5. Kibbeh mahshi are torpedo-shaped meatballs that are breaded with bulgur (or semolina or rice) and deep-fried until crispy, like a croquette. Fried kibbeh are often served as part of a mezze (appetizer platter) and for special occasions.