LOW Carbed Middle Eastern Kibbe (Kibbeh)

[fieldofroses1]

Low carb Middle Eastern Kibbe (kibbeh)



Ok, if you ever had kibbe at a Middle Eastern restaurant, you know that this is a very delecious dish. Its made with gournd beef and cracked wheat (burgul). The aroma of the combination of spices is just amazing. Kibbeh can be fried or baked, formed into balls or squares, but the taste is always great. Since I've been lowcarbing, I've watched my Middle Eastern family eat and eat my favorite foods, so now I'm attempting to low carb them, and so far this kibbeh recipe is darn right very close to the original thing. And I'm not just saying that because I made it, according to my mom "it was JUST LIKE THE REAL THING". OK fine I'll share the recipe here you go:

Low Carb Kibbeh
Filling
2 TB olive oil
1.5 Lbs ground beef, I used 90/10
3/4 cup finely chopped onions
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp 7 spice
1/2 tsp kibbeh spice (you can find online or at middle eastern grocery stores)
1/8 tsp ghee spice (semn spice)(you can also find at middle eastern grocery stores)
a pinch of ground nutmeg

Layers

1.5 lbs ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp 7 spice
3/4 tsp kibbeh spice
1/8 tsp ghee spice
a pinch of nut meg
1/2 head of steamed cauliflower
1 small egg


For the Filling: In a pot heat 2 TB olive oil and saute the onions for 2-3 minutes. Add beef and spices and cook until meat is browned. Set aside to cool down.

For the layers. Steam the cauliflower in the microwave, by adding the raw florets, 2 TB of water and cooking it for 3-5 minutes. Cauliflower should be fork tender by then. In a food processor, add onions and cauliflower and process until very smooth. Add the egg and spices and process again. Finally add the beef and give it a whirl until all ingredients are combined and texture is smooth, but don't over process it.

heat oven to 350

To layer, divide the layer mixture in half, I used a 9x13 inch pan. Spread half of the layer mixture evenly, then add all of the filling mixture. Spread the second half of the layer mixture on top and smooth it out. Cook the kibbeh at 350 for 20-25 minutes, mine was done with in 25 minutes and broiled it to give it a bit of color. You can serve this with yougurt and cucumber salad which is great, but didn't have any on hand, so I added some mayo, and Its soooooooooooooooooo gooooooooooood. Allow the kibbe to cool down, then cut into 6 generous portions. My calculations of carbs at 3 carbs per serving.
Please be aware that the meat mixture will decrease in size because the beef will release moisture while cooking, so no surprises, and DON"T WORRY, YOU CAN"T taste the cauliflower in there, the spices come through substantially.

[Grace]

I can't wait to try this but first I'll have to drive 125 miles to the nearest city that would carry the necessary spices . I'll be looking forward to seeing your recipes as you experiment. I miss Indian food most of all - I've found substitutes for Mexican, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, German, Italian even Greek... but not Indian and Mid-Eastern. Thanks for sharing and happy cooking!!!!

[BikerAng]

Yumm! Need to find these spices then I'm making this!

[fieldofroses1]

I forgot to mention, that you can add 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts to the filling which is traditional. but since I'm in Induction I omitted them.

these sites have a couple of the spices for the recipes, ghee spices are a bit difficult to find, unless you find a well stocked middle eastern grocery store, you can omit them if you can't find the spice, no problem.

Arabic food and groceries online, Middle eastern products such as turkish coffee, nuts, spices, teas, candies, sweets, tahini, halal meat, pickles, olives, pasta and diary products
Dayna's Market - Mediterranean - Herbs & Spices