Chicken Kibbeh

Ok so today we have a guest blogger...RANYA O.!!!! The other day I received an email from Ranya and she told me about a new way to make kibbeh that her mom learned in Syria and her mom taught her and now she taught me!! Personally I find this type of kibbeh much easier to make then the meat ones so if you haven't made kibbeh before and want to try I would definetly try this type first. I found very very little taste difference, if at all. My husband is a very picky eater and he said he would rate it a 8/10 (because he doesn't want me getting cocky about my cooking...ya). The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be used with any type of kibbeh: kibbeh miqliyeh (fried), kibbeh labaniyeh (kibbeh in yogurt), kibbeh mishwiyeh (grilled kibbeh), and kibbeh bisayniyeh (kibbeh in a tray).

So this is pretty much the exact same way you would make normal kibbeh (using meat) except we are using chicken here. There are some rules to making kibbeh that people use to decide whether or not you are good at making kibbeh (pretty much this is how my tete would grade me on my kibbeh skills....or lack there of...but hey its only the 3rd time I've made kibbeh in 5 years). Rule:

1. The thinner the kibbeh the better

2. The smaller the kibbeh the better (kibbeh in yogurt should be really small and the other kibbehs shouldn't be too big)

3. Don't skimp on the meat (I think this applies to all Syrian dishes according to my tete)

4. The lighter in color the kibbeh the better (this applies more to meat because the chicken is very light)

5. Kibbeh should be crunchy on the outside but not dry (my kibbeh is only crunchy right when it comes out of the oil, it doesn't get soggy but isn't really crunchy)

So grade yourself on your kibbeh! Anyways here is how Ranya and I made chicken kibbeh (I have a disorder where i can't follow a recipe 100% so I will note things I changed a I will also note things Ranya told me she changed.

Measure 1 pound of fine bulgur wheat. There is a light color bulgur and a dark...both work but if you refer to the rules it would suggest you use the lighter one.

wash and rinse the burgul ( I washed it twice) and then squeeze it dry.

It should double in size

Take 1 pound of chicken breast (about 2 chicken breasts) and cut all visible fat and other nasty things off and then cut into big chunks.

A little over 16 oz

Grind the chicken in a food processor.

Add an onion to the chicken and grind really well.

I had to do mine in two batches because my food processor is so small but here is Ranya's...pretty much the same thing.

MMMMMM chicken mush

Here is the burgul

Run it through the food processor as well.

Add the chicken/onion to the burgul

Mix it with your hands as well as possible.

Ranya also runs it through the food processor until the dough comes together in a ball. I had to do mine in about 5 batches because again...I have a small food processor. When this is done then put the dough in a ziploc bag and freeze it over night (I just put it in the fridge overnight because I didn't have time to defrost it the next day but I do recommend freezing it the next day)

Ok so the next day take out the dough and let it defrost while you make the stuffing. Ranya told me her Mom uses crisco to fry the onions in, Ranya uses mazola oil and I use samneh (arabic clarified butter) whatever you want to use will obviously work. When the onions start to cook add in the ground meat and cook.

Once the meat is done cooking add in salt, pepper and mixed arabic spice.

Add in the chopped walnuts (My mom also adds almonds and pine nuts so I added almonds (Pine nuts at the store weren't good))

Ranya's stuffing is more traditional, it has much less nuts and only walnuts

So when the dough is defrosted all the way add in spices: red pepper (cayenne), salt, pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda (something new to me but I follow the experts), chicken spice (Not sure what it is exactly so I used some shish tawook spice), cardammon and 2 tablespoons of flour.

Run it through a meat grinder, I just put it in the mixer and let it mix like a normal dough or you can do it by hand). If you have a meat grinder run all of the dough through and then run a small batch through, form kibbeh with it and then run another small batch through and so on and so forth until all of the dough is through....so the dough goes through the meat grinder twice total. Like I said before though, if you don't have a meat grinder then use a food processor and if you dont have a food processor then use your hands...Arabs have been making kibbeh way before machines were invented.

Tools you will need to Kabkeb (form the kibbeh): I used a cookie/ice cream scoop to make uniform sized kibbeh, a bowl or water with cornstarch, a bowl with a small teaspoon to add the stuffing and the kibbeh dough.

First scoop out the dough and then with water/cornstarch mix on your hand roll the dough into a nice ball.

Take your index finger and poke the dough in the middle, but not all the way through. Keep moving the dough in a circular motion to widen the hole and make the walls thin.

Try to make the top as even as possible because it will make it easier to shut the kibbeh.

Add in the stuffing, as much as can fit.

Add more water/cornstarch on your hand and squeeze the top of the kibbeh shut slowly while moving it in a circular motion.

Kibbeh, I have big ones in the back for frying and the small ones in the front will be used for kibbeh in yogurt.

Ranya's kibbeh...of course perfect..which is why she is my role model for perfect wife/cook/mom/everything

Ok so when you are ready to cook take a skewer or a match or a toothpick and poke about 3 holes in the kibbeh that will be used for the kibbeh in yogurt. DO NOT POKE THE KIBBEH FOR FRYING!!!

In a pan add in yogurt and whisk

Add in water and stir, as well as some cornstarch

Once the yogurt starts to boil turn it down (so that there are no more bubbles) and add in the kibbeh

They will float to the top when they are done cooking. Try to stir as little and as gently as possible so that you don't break them.

This is just showing the difference in size between the frying kibbeh and the yogurt kibbeh.

This is how I test the oil to see if it is hot enough to fry. Add in a wooden stick or spoon and if bubbles form then the oil is hot enough.

Add the kibbeh in slowly because they will stick if they are just dropped in.

Serve the kibbeh labaniyeh warm, room temp or cold. In Syria it is usually served with fresh tarragon in the yogurt (I HATE tarragon so I never add it)

I cooked up some cilantro with some olive oil and garlic and topped my kibbeh labaniyeh.

Here is a picture of the fried kibbeh...looks just like the meat ones until.............

.....you bite into it and you see how white it is. Very very good...Thank you Ranya soooo much for your recipe and of course thank you Khaleh Ghada for bringing back and sharing such a good recipe.

Written Recipe:

3ajeeneh/Kibbeh Dough

1 pound of chicken breast

1 pound of fine bulgur wheat

1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

salt

pepper

cardammon

chicken spice (All spices are added to taste)

2 tablespoons of flour

1 tablespoon of red pepper (I added less)

Stuffing

1 pound of ground meat

2 medium onions finely chopped

handful of walnuts (about 1/2 cup)

handful of almonds (optional)

salt

pepper

oil/samneh/crisco

mixed arabic spice

Yogurt for Labaniyeh

3 cups of yogurt

1 cup of water

salt

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Ranya makes her yogurt differently here is how she does it:

Ranya boils a spoonful of rice in a cup of water and adds it to the warmed yogurt (which she adds an egg and cornstarch too the same way I showed in my Shakriyeh post) with salt and pepper. She then adds the poked kibbeh the same way I do.

Lahmeh biSaniyeh/ Meat in a tray

This is a really fast dish to make, i have added a few different things to it but for the most part it is traditional. I never use to like this dish because sometimes the meat would come out dry but by adding more onions to it it stays nice and moist. This is how i make lahmeh bisayniyeh:

I start off with 1 pound of ground (lean about 10%fat) beef in a bowl.

I grate the onion (and cry a lot) with the course grate (not the really big one but not the small one)

About one medium/smallish onion is good for about a pound of beef.

Add in the onion and spices (some people add oil but i don't because i feel like it just all comes out anyways and then the outside is greasy)

Mix it really well

In any size pan pat it down with your hands so it is flat. I wouldn't make it too thin because when meat cooks it shrinks up so it will become thicker (plus i don't like thick pieces of meat)

Peel a potato (Typically there is no potato) you can use any type of potato but this one is typically used in Syrian cooking (usually you see the dark brown skinned one used more here in America.)

Arrange the tomato and potato slices nicely (make sure the potato is sliced thinly and the tomato is slightly thicker). In Syrian usually they just put tomato on top. Sprinkle with salt.

Cook it in the oven until the potatoes are cooked all the way through. Don't worry about the meat getting dry in the oven because it is protected by the tomatoes and potatoes on top and all the juice from the meat, onions and tomatoes will be released and it will surround the meat.

I like to eat lahmeh bisayniyeh with bread and yogurt and some fatoush but you could make msabaha (hummus) or any other type of dipping sauces like mhammara (roasted red pepper dip) or mtabbal (smoked eggplant dip)

Written Recipe:

1 pound of lean ground beef

1 medium onion

Sprinkle of salt and pepper

1 teaspoon of Arabic 7 spices

3 tomatoes

1 potato thinly sliced

Homemade Yogurt/ Laban

Ok so the story of why i decided to make homemade yogurt...well it is just something i wanted to try making at least once in my life so i decided to do the research to make sure it came out exactly how i like it. So it turns out, people, that most grocery store yogurts contain pectin which is like a plant gelatin (which is why apricots and cranberries and certain fruit gel up when cooked) but to get pectin it is extracted through chemicals and I am trying to stay away from as many artificial things as possible. So began my quest to make yogurt. So here are some things i learned through all my research and experimentation (i have been making yogurt for 5 months now!)

Facts:

1. Boiling the milk first allows for a thicker yogurt in the end because some water evaporates

2. The lower the fat content of milk the more sour the yogurt

3. The longer the milk stays out the more sour it gets

4. If you use yogurt with pectin as your starter you will get slimy yogurt (YUCK!)

5. Milk temp (according to internet) should be between 130 and 119 F however i used a thermometer and the finger technique and the finger technique calls for adding yogurt at a higher temp and it still works.

6. Pasteurized milk works fine but ultra-pasturized apparently doesn't work

7. Organic milk seems to yield a thicker yogurt then non organic (or maybe it is my imagination)

8. Whisking in one direction makes the milk thicker. (not sure but i do it anyways)

9. Placing a paper towel or kitchen towel between lid and yogurt to absorb steam makes a thick yogurt as well (I have tried it both ways and this really does work)

Pour your milk into a heavy bottom pan so the milk doesn't burn at the bottom. I used 1% milk here (1/2 gallon) but I used a whole milk yogurt.

So I have been using my yogurt as a starter then I saw this and wanted to show those of you looking for a good yogurt what to look for. Most say all natural (and it is) but read the ingredients all the time because pectin is considered natural.

Gelatin free!!!! and on the side it says LIVE and ACTIVE probiotic cultures...a must. I found this yogurt in my arabic store but any indian grocery stores should carry some kind or natural pectin free yogurt.

This is what I store my yogurt in the fridge because the pan is too big plus I need it to cook.

Around 2 tablespoons of yogurt (more won't hurt)

Whisk it so that there are no lumps and so that it blends into the milk evenly

Boil the milk

As soon as it starts puffing up remove it or else you will have boiled milk EVERYWHERE and it is not fun to clean.

Pour it into your clean storing container. (the hot milk sterilizes the stainless steel bowl)

Let the milk cool whisking it often so that more steam is released and so that a skin doesn't form. As long as there are bubbles then a sin shouldn't form. To test to see if the milk is cool enough (at least 30 min) place your CLEAN finger into the milk, when you are able to leave it there for 10 seconds (even though it burns) then it is safe to add the yogurt. I was worried in the beginning because I have a high tolerance for heat but even my hands of steal worked fine.

Pour in the yogurt and whisk it so it is all incorporated (try to whisk in one direction)

Cover the container with a lid (I place either a piece of paper towel or a kitchen towel under the lid but not touching the yogurt so that the steam doesn't fall on the yogurt and make it watery.) Paper towel not shown here but I did use it.

Cover with a clean towel and either put it in the over or leave it in the corner somewhere where it wont be moved. It needs to incubate for 4 hours at least and maximum 12 hours. The 12 hour incubation makes a more sour yogurt (although the whole milk that was incubated for 12 hours was not that sour however the skim milk incubated for 12 hours was very sour) I use only for hours and then remove the towel and stick it into the fridge.

This is what the yogurt looks like after 4 hours, it should all be in one piece. If for some reason it is still watery then let it incubate for 2 more hours at least.

This is nice thick creamy smooth yogurt. As the whey (greenish thick water) forms I just pour it off and the yogurt stays thick. You can save the whey and use it in smoothies and stuff, it is really good for you.

Written Recipe:

Milk (I prefer 1% or higher)

2 tablespoons of yogurt sans pectin

Curry Shrimp

This is a really easy, fast, simple dish that I made up one day. It is not original but I had chicken curry in a Thai restaurant one day and loved it so i just changed some things around and made it shrimp (it is what I had at home). This is a great dish for a quick healthy dinner at home or for an extra dish at an 3azeemeh because it literally takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.

I started by chopping up some onions really small.

I sauteed them in a little bit of oil just until they are cooked but not breaking down.

I added in curry powder and some cayenne. (not in the picture but i also added in some ginger and garlic)

Then I added in chicken broth.

I buy my shrimp from Costco (they have the best i have found so far) and they say they are deveined but only the back one is cleaned, there is one located in the front so i take it out as well. When you buy shrimp you will notice a number range on the shrimp rather then small medium and large. Here is a chart I found online that tells you the size of the shrimp, the number that they sell them buy and how many are on average in a pound. So if you buy shrimp labeled 21/25 that means that there are about 21 to 25 shrimp per pound.

Extra Jumbo	16/20	18
Jumbo	21/25	23
Extra Large	26/30	28
Large	31/35	33
Medium Large	36/40	38
Medium	41/50	45
Small	51/60	55
Extra Small	61/70	65

After i cleaned and deveined the shrimp pat them dry and place them in the thickened curry sauce.

When the shrimp are cooked all the way through add in coconut milk.

At the very end I added in some fish sauce instead of salt but you can do either or.

Sprinkle with some cilantro and you are ready to go.

I served it with jasmine rice cooked with no oil so it is sticky like sushi rice.

Written Recipe:

1 lb of shrimp cleaned and deveined (size 21/25)

1 small onion

a little bit of oil

3 tablespoons of curry powder

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (more or less according to your taste)

2 smashed garlic cloves

1 inch piece of ginger grated

1 cup of chicken stock

1/2 can of coconut milk

1 to 2 dashes of fish sauce (or just add salt)

1/2 bunch of cilantro some mixed in and some on top.

Lib al Koosa/Koosa insides

Lib is what arabs call the inside of the koosa (squash), the part we core out before we stuff them. I always save the lib and cook it, there are 2 ways of cooking it and this is my favorite. If you just want to try the dish and didn't core any squash feel free to just roughly chop up the squash, same thing. Oh and sorry i have been so MIA lately on the blog but i needed a break from this all because i have been so busy and stressed about my practicum for next year. Anyways here is how i make lib al koosa or lib bzeit.

Ok so in a pan i add a little extra virgin olive oil and let it get hot.

Add in all of the lib (if you notice it really watery squeeze as much water out as you can or just strain it)

Stir the mixture a little so that the oil gets mixed in well.

Ok so without adding any salt A LOT of water will be released by the lib, let it keep cooking until it dries out. Keep an eye on it though because you don't want it to burn or stick to the bottom.

While you are cooking off all the water smash up some garlic with some salt. I don't add salt to this dish anywhere but here because the lib gets really salty really fast. Add as little salt as you can.

Once the mixture is cooked and most of the water is gone add in the garlic and mix

Once the garlic is mixed it add in the dried mint. I know not everyone has dried mint on hand all the time and i am sure you can use fresh mint but i have honestly never tried it. If you do try it with fresh mint let me know how it turns out.

Mix well

I serve it in a plate and drizzle the tiniest bit of more extra virgin olive oil on it. It is eaten with pita bread and is a side dish. This can be eaten hot or served cold (i prefer cold)

Written Recipe:

The lib of roughly 10 big Koosa

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (plus more to drizzle on later)

3 small cloves of garlic smashed with some salt

1 tablespoon of dried mint