levantine · lunch
Baked kibbeh
Levantine pride, here adapted with freekeh in place of bulgur: a fine ground-beef-and-grain shell baked in a wide tray, filled with cardamom-and-thyme spiced beef. Sliced into diamonds for sharing.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- advanced
Steps
- 01
Soak and grind the freekeh
30 minRinse the freekeh, soak in cold water thirty minutes. Drain thoroughly and pulse in a food processor until it forms a coarse paste, the base of the shell.
- 02
Make the shell
8 minMix the freekeh paste with five hundred grams of ground beef, half the cardamom, half the dried thyme, salt. Knead five minutes until tight and uniform.
- 03
Cook the filling
10 minHeat two tablespoons of ghee, brown the remaining beef five minutes. Add the rest of cardamom and thyme, salt to taste. Cook two minutes more so the spices bloom into the meat. Cool slightly.
- 04
Assemble the tray
10 minBrush a wide oven tray with ghee. Press half the shell mixture into a smooth bottom layer of one centimetre. Spread the filling evenly. Cover with the rest of shell, smoothing the top.
- 05
Score and bake
35 minScore the surface in diamonds with a wet knife. Brush with melted ghee. Bake at one hundred ninety degrees for thirty-five minutes until the top turns deep golden and crisp.
- 06
Rest and serve
5 minRest five minutes so the layers set. Cut along the score lines to lift clean diamonds. Serve warm; the crisp shell, tender filling and grain make three textures in one bite.
Other recipes from the same family
Lamb on freekeh
Levantine classic: lamb simmered until tender, freekeh cooked in the broth, finished with olive oil.
110 min · 4 servings
Beef kofta and rice
A weeknight Levantine pleasure: hand-kneaded ground-beef fingers seasoned with cardamom and thyme, seared hard in ghee, then basmati rice cooked in the same pan to absorb every drop of the caramelised juices. A complete meal in one skillet.
60 min · 4 servings
Lamb skewers in ghee
Levantine charcoal-grill staple from Beirut to Damascus: shoulder-cut lamb cubes brushed with clarified butter, threaded on flat skewers, grilled hard and fast so the outside chars while the inside stays pink and juicy.
37 min · 4 servings
This article relays the public teachings of Dr. Diaa Al-Awadi for educational and informative purposes. It is not medical advice. Consult your physician before any dietary change. Legal notice.