Kubba Haleb — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

An Iraqi variation of kubba with a crispy bulgur wheat shell encasing a filling of minced lamb with pine nuts, raisins, and warm spices, deep-fried until golden.

Ingredients

2 cups fine bulgur wheat
250g minced lamb (for shell)
300g minced lamb (for filling)
1 onion, finely diced
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tbsp raisins
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for deep frying

Instructions

1 Soak the bulgur wheat for 30 minutes, drain, then blend with 250g minced lamb, salt, and allspice until it forms a smooth, kneadable paste for the shell.
2 Prepare the filling by sauteing onion until golden, adding 300g minced lamb with cinnamon, cumin, salt, and pepper, cooking until browned, then mixing in pine nuts and raisins.
3 Take a portion of the shell mixture, form into a hollow torpedo shape in your palm, stuff with the meat filling, and seal completely, ensuring no cracks.
4 Deep-fry the stuffed kubba in oil at 175C for about 5 minutes until the shell is deeply golden and crispy, then drain on paper towels and serve hot with lemon wedges.

Did You Know?

Iraqi families take immense pride in their kubba-making skills, and the ability to form a perfectly thin, even shell without any cracks is considered an art form passed from mother to daughter.