Here is Shala’s Kibbe recipe.

For the kibbeh:

2 cups burghul
1/2 lb. minced lamb
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 tsp sumac
Bunch fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 glass water
For the filling:
1 lb. minced lamb
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 tbs pine nuts
1 tsp sumac
Salt & pepper

To make the kibbeh: Place burghul in bowl, cover with hot water and stand for 15 mins. Drain burghul and squeeze in hands to soften. Place the lamb in food processor and mince to fine paste. Add the remainder of the ingredients (adding water a little at a time) to the blender and mix. Remove and keep aside.

To prepare the filling: Heat oil in pan, add onions and cook till soft. Add nuts, cook until lightly browned. Add lamb and spices, cook, stirring until lamb is browned.
Shape 1/4 cups of kibbeh into balls using damp hands. Hollow out the center using your thumb, and put a little filling inside. Shape kibbeh into ovals. Fry in hot oil (in batches) until browned all over and cooked.

There is no such thing as Lebanese tabbouleh or a Syrian tabbouleh basically it is one cousin in that region that has subtle differences between towns, believe it or not, You will find the cousin of northern Lebanon closer to the cousin of the costal towns in Syria than the cousin of the rest of Lebanon. That is very understandable since Lebanon did not exist before and it was a product of the french clonization of that region in the 1900s.

Thank you for your comment on my political blog! I’m with you on tighter regulations and was sorry to hear about your Mom.

Newbie question… if the Wheat bulghur cooked in step one or is it just mixed up plain?

Thank you,

Kevin