Kibbeh bil Saniyeh (Baked Lamb and Bulgur Kibbeh with Pine Nuts)

Ingredients

• 200 g fine bulgur wheat
• 700 g lamb mince
• 2 onion
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 50 g pine nuts
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 500 ml natural yoghurt
• 1 cucumber
• 1 tsp dried mint

Method

1. 1

   Rinse the fine bulgur wheat in a sieve, cover with cold water and soak for 10 minutes, then squeeze it hard in your hands to get out as much water as you can. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan, gas 6).

2. 2

   Grate 1 onion and squeeze out its juice. Put it in a food processor with 400g of the lamb mince, the bulgur, 1 tsp allspice, ½ tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp salt and blitz to a smooth, stiff paste, adding a splash of iced water if it struggles.

3. 3

   For the filling, finely chop the second onion and fry in 1 tbsp olive oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 300g lamb mince with the rest of the allspice and cinnamon and fry for 8-10 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and no pink remains. Stir in the pine nuts for the last 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Oil a 20 x 30cm baking tin. With damp hands, press half the kibbeh paste evenly over the base, spread the filling on top, then flatten the rest of the paste into thin patties and lay them over the filling, smoothing the joins with wet fingers.

5. 5

   Cut through the kibbeh into diamonds with a knife dipped in water, drizzle with the remaining 3 tbsp olive oil and bake for 30-35 minutes until deep golden and crisp at the edges.

6. 6

   While it bakes, grate the cucumber, squeeze out the water and stir it into the natural yoghurt with the dried mint and a pinch of salt. Serve the kibbeh warm with the cucumber yoghurt.