1977. Folded Kubba Mosul

Iraqi kubba Mosel looks like a large disk the size of a plate with perfectly thin crust encompassing a meat and nut filling, often further garnished with raisins or sultanas. A while ago, I was dining at an Iraqi restaurant and they served their kubba Mosul folded, which is a lovely idea. So while the recipe is not new to MCW, I did want to share the presentation technique.

Ingredients: makes 8 folded kubbas

1 1/2 cups fine burghul

1 1/2 cups fine jareesh

2 tsp salt

2 cups water

250g lean beef mince

500g fatty lamb mince

1 onion, grated

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp powder chili

1 tsp powdered edible rose petals, optional

Method:

To make the crust: In a bowl, mix together the burghul, jareesh, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Stir in the water and let stand for 20 minutes. In a food processor, blitz the lean beef mince until it becomes a pink paste. Add the soaked burghul mix and process again until fully combined and the mixture is a pale pink dough. Depending on the size of your food processor, it might be easier to do this in two batches. Press the dough into a bowl, then cut into eight segments (quarter, then halmeve each quarter). Set aside.

In a separate bowl, prepare the filling. Combine the fatty lamb mince, grated onion, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, allspice, cinnamon, chili, and powdered edible rose petals. Mix well by hand. Press the mixture into the bowl, then divide also into eight.

For each kubba, you will need one crust segment and one filling segment.

Cut open two plastic kitchen bags to form one large rectangle, with a width larger than a dining plate. Lay one bag on your work surface and put one segment of the crust dough in the middle. Cover with the second plastic bag. Roll the dough until it is the size of a dining plate. Invert a dining plate over the rolled dough and remove excess. Now take one part of the filling mixture and press over one half of the rolled crust, leaving an inch border throughout the circle. You can sprinkle with some almonds and sultanas, or leave it plain. Fold the crust in half to enclose the filling, with the plastic still attached to help in placement. Your kubba should now be half a circle. With the top plastic still attached, carefully seal the kubba, pushing out any air pockets before sealing the edges tightly. Peel off plastic layer and set aside on the counter to dry for about an hour. Meanwhile, repeat the process seven more times to use up all the remaining dough and filling.

After it dries for an hour, you can place in large ziplock plastic bags and freeze the kubba until needed.

To cook, you can either boil it until it floats, or shallow fry it on both sides, or brush it in oil and grill it (in the oven or over the barbecue). Serve hot with a fresh salad and a side of pickles.

صحة و عافية