Pumpkin kibbeh

Step 1

Rinse bulgur wheat, shake any excess water off and place it in a medium bowl. Pour 1¼ cup of boiling water over bulgur wheat and immediately cover the bowl with an upside down plate. Set aside for about 15-20 mins, until all the water gets absorbed. Start making the filling whilst waiting.

Step 2

Unless you managed to buy extra fine bulgur wheat, I found that it is really helpful to give rehydrated bulgur wheat a good whizz in my food processor before combining it with other ingredients. This step makes it much easier to mould the dough into kibbeh shells afterwards, especially when it comes to medium and large size bulgur wheat.

Step 3

Add salt, baharat spice, flour and finely grated onion (if using) to the rehydrated bulgur wheat. Knead it all well with your hands until you obtain a pliable dough.

Step 4

If you would rather bake your kibbeh than fry them, I found that adding a tablespoon or two of reduced aquafaba (the more it resembles an egg white the better) helps as the balls do not dry out and crack as much in the oven. If you intend to fry them, you can safely skip this step.

Step 5

Chill the dough in the fridge to ensure that it is easier to work with.

Step 6

Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottom frying pan. Add diced onion and saute on a low-medium heat until translucent, stirring from time to time.

Step 7

Add baharat spice and fry it off gently on a low heat, stirring the whole time.

Step 8

Add baked pumpkin, chickpeas, walnuts, sultanas and a splash of water. Season with salt, sumac and chilli if using. Cook for a few minutes until all the flavours come together well and the water cooks out.

Step 9

Let the filling cool down. Finally, mix in the chopped herbs.

Step 10

Remove the dough from the fridge and prepare a small bowl of water so that you can keep your hands moist while forming kibbeh balls.

Step 11

Wet your hands. Take a spoon of the shell mixture and mould it into a shell against your left hand with your right hand (unless you are left-handed). Once you get a compact shell, place a teaspoon of the filling mixture in the middle and mould the dough around it. Fill any holes with extra mixture and smooth the surface of the ball with wet fingers. Make sure there are no gaps in the shell as otherwise the kibbeh may burst during frying.

Step 12

Once you've made all the kibbeh balls, heat up a small pot of frying oil on the stove. If you don't want to fry them, heat up the oven to 355°F / 180°C and brush all the kibbeh with a generous amount of oil. Space them on a baking tray and bake for about 40 mins, or until golden brown.

Step 13

Once the oil comes to temperature (test it by dropping a piece of dough in. If it starts sizzling immediately, the oil is ready), lower a few kibbeh balls (make sure they have plenty of space in between them) into the hot oil. Fry them for about 2-3 minutes on one side, then flip them onto the other side with a fork and fry for another 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.

Step 14

Fish ready kibbeh out with a slotted spoon and place them on a piece of paper towel to drain any excess oil.

Step 15

Serve immediately after frying with a drizzle of vegan yoghurt or a simple tahini sauce, and a simple salad.