Cauliflower Rice Kibbeh
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Today I’m sharing a gluten free take on a classic: Cauliflower Rice Kibbeh.
In the midst of wedding planning in 2018, in an attempt at “clean eating,” my mother and I decided to do a Whole 30. That’s no dairy, wheat, grains, sugar, or soy for 30 days. We brainstormed all the Syrian food that’s already Whole 30-friendly. Mnazelet Betinjan was on heavy rotation, as was Fosolia and Molokhia.
“But kibbeh,” my mom said. “I can’t go a whole month without kibbeh.” And Cauliflower Rice Kibbeh was born.
It’s quite simple. Instead of bulgur, we use finely grated cauliflower florets. We sweat out of all its moisture in a pan on the stove. It’s combined with meat and seasoning before being stuffed, shaped, and baked in the oven.
Without the bulgur, this kibbeh is noticeably meatier. To distract the senses, the kibbeh morsels are filled a flavor-packed combination of ground beef, fruity Aleppo/Turkish pepper paste, walnuts, sautéed sweet onions, and tangy pomegranate molasses.
Kibbeh History
If you’ve found this blog, it’s likely you already know about kibbeh, which is best described as a combination of bulgur, super lean ground meat, and onions, which is shaped in various forms and stuffed with more ground meat, onions, and nuts. There are truly endless variations. Khair al Dean al Asadi in The Comparative Encyclopedia of Aleppo cites 58 different varieties in his home city alone. I’ve heard somewhere upwards of 90+ types across the world, considering the Arabs in diaspora. On this blog, I have 10 different recipes (and counting), including Kibbeh bil Sanieh, a pie-like version baked in a round pan; Kibbeh Hileh, a vegetarian recipe my grandmother (Allah yerhama) graciously gifted to me her last week on Earth; Kibbeh bil Banadora, a family favorite with morsels stewed in tomato sauce; and others.
There’s a type of kibbeh for about every season, dietary restriction, rhyme, or reason. Recent fad diets, allergies, and intolerances have made gluten free-eating en vogue. It’s about time there’s a kibbeh to accommodate.
Ingredients
Habra
One of the main components of the kibbeh shell is habra, basically 100% lean ground beef or lamb, usually from an inside round cut. Why 0% fat? Well, fat causes things to separate, and you need your dough to bind together and become smooth.
It is traditionally pounded in a mortar and pestle to form a paste, which is then mixed with bulgur wheat, minced onions, and seasoning before being stuffed and shaped. These days, your local butcher might be able to trim off all the fat for you and grind it for you fresh. If you know an Arabic butcher, tell them you want habra for kibbeh, and they’ll know what to do.
Cauliflower
The shell of kibbeh is typically made with bulgur, or cracked wheat. My mother and I thought to replace bulgur with cauliflower rice for this gluten free version, and it honestly works so well. You will rice the cauliflower in the food processor (or buy pre-riced) and then sweat it in a dry pan until it's golden-brown and the moisture is pretty much gone.
Onions
Onions act as a moist ingredient in the kibbeh shell, and it also adds a pungent sweetness.
Dried Mint
A very popular ingredient across the Levant, but not typically used in kibbeh dough. It adds a really nice dimension with the cauliflower and meat.
Cumin
Cumin adds a really delicious flavor to the kibbeh shell, and its earthiness pairs perfectly with the next ingredient.
Aleppo/Turkish Pepper Paste
You’ll find this ingredient in so many recipes on the blog. It’s the foundation of muhammara, and it’s also super tasty for chicken marinades and seasoning eggplant or cauliflower. In the kibbeh filling and dough, it adds a peppery note and a bright, vibrant color.
Aleppo peppers are a fruity and mildly spicy red pepper grown in the north of Syria and southern Turkey. The peppers are dried in the sun, pounded into a paste and preserved with salt. The Turkish and the Aleppo versions can pretty much be used interchangeably, depending on availability.
In the UAE I buy Aleppo Pepper Paste from Bait al Moona al Halabi in Sharjah (Google location here) or Al Douri Signature by the kg and keep it in the freezer. In the US, you can find some at your local Middle Eastern grocer or on Amazon here.
Tomato Paste
Tomato paste adds a nice flavor and color to the shell.
Arabic 7 Spices
Arabic 7 spices is a spice mix, traditionally homemade, that’s used in meat dishes. It’s mostly comprised of all spice, and it may contain any combination of black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, coriander, paprika, fenugreek and/or ginger. You can purchase one already mixed (Amazon in the US or Al Douri Signature in Dubai), or you can make your own. Here it’s used to season the kibbeh shell and filling.
Ground Meat
Ground meat is the foundation to any kibbeh filling. Regular ground beef or lamb works just fine here. Cook it in a dry pan over high heat, stirring frequently, so you break up any clumps.
Pomegranate Molasses
This puckeringly tart and sweet condiment is used so much in Syrian cooking. It’s made by reducing pure pomegranate juice until it’s thick and syrupy. In the past, making molasses was a method to preserve the precious juice from in-season pomegranates. It’s often used on grilled meat and in salad dressing (fattoush). In this recipe, it’s used in the filling to break up the meaty flavor and provide complexity. Pick it up at your local Arabic store or an Amazon.
Walnuts
Nuts are such an important component in kibbeh filling for both texture and flavor. Walnuts are finely chopped before being added.
Pine Nuts
I absolutely love the taste of toasted pine nuts. I like to have a batch of them handy at all times. They’re so delicate yet packed with so much flavor. They can be hard to find at times and/or quite expensive, so they are optional. If you’re using them, toss them in a 375° F/190° C oven for about 5-10 minutes until golden, being careful not to burn.
Dried Pomegranate Seeds
These are totally optional, but they do add a nice tart and semi-sweet punch. You can find them at your local Arabic store.
The Process
First, I would suggest making the filling. Cook and season the ground meat. Sauté the onion until golden (just past translucent). Chop the walnuts. Mix them all together with salt, pomegranate molasses, and pepper paste. You can make this part up to 2 days ahead of time.
Cauliflower rice is made by chopping florets in a food processor finely. It’s then salted in a colander, squeezed dry, and placed in a pan set over medium heat. The water will draw out and then dry up, leaving a slightly golden-brown mass. You’ll use 3 cups for a full recipe, and the rest can be frozen.
In a food processor, pulse 2-3 ice cubes and the habra until a paste forms. Wipe out the bowl, then use it to mince the onions.
Add the cauliflower rice, habra paste, onions, pepper paste, and seasoning in a large bowl. Frequently dip your hands in ice water and combine all the ingredients by folding and kneading them into each other. Rest it in the fridge for 2 hours or so.
When you’re ready to stuff and form, have a bowl of ice water handy to dip your hands. This will keep the meat cold as you work with it, help bind it, and make it smooth. Then brush with oil and bake it in a 350° F/180° C oven.
The Shape
Theoretically you could use any shape here. For this one, wet your hands with ice water, take a palm-sized ball of kibbeh shell and roll it into a ball. Take your index finger and hollow out a hole in the middle of the ball. Keep pressing your index finger into the opposite heel of your hand until it’s a hollow oval and the kibbeh shell is about 1/8” thick.
You’ll then take about a spoon of the filling and place it inside the oval you just made. While dipping your hands in the ice water, close the oval over the filling. Dip your fingers and smooth out the seams. You can keep it in a ball shape or flatten out the bottom, like you can see my mom doing in the video above.
I love to see your creations! If you give this a try, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram at @omayah.atassi and #omayahcooks. Also, leave it in the comments to let everyone know how it works out. If you have any question, don’t hesitate to reach out!.
Other gluten free recipes:
Braised Leg of Lamb with Spicy (or Sweet) Onion Sauce
Kefta Bisaniyeh (Meat in the Pan)
Fava Beans with Rice (Riz ou Ful)
Stewed Spinach with Ground Meat and Rice (Sabanekh ou Ruz)
Other kibbeh recipes:
Kibbeh Bisaniyeh (Baked Kibbeh)
Kibbeh Safarjaliyeh (Quince, Kibbeh and Lamb Stew)
Kibbeh Fakhdiyyeh (Kibbeh with Yogurt, Tahini, and Cauliflower)
Vegan Kibbeh with Swiss Chards
Cauliflower Rice Kibbeh
Ingredients
- 3 large onions, finely chopped
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1 lb/500 g ground beef
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp Arabic 7 spices (all spice, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)
- 1/2 c finely chopped walnuts
- 1/4 c toasted pine nuts
- 1/4 c dried pomegranate seeds (optional)
- 2 tbsp Aleppo/Turkish pepper paste
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses, plus more to taste
- 2 heads cauliflower
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lb habra, or 100% lean finely ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1.5 c cauliflower rice
- 1 tbsp dried mint
- 2 tsp Aleppo/Turkish pepper paste
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Arabic 7 spices (all spice, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)
- 1 tsp salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet or fry pan set over medium-low heat, add the onions and olive oil. Once you hear the onions sizzling, give them their first stir. Cook, stirring frequently, until just past translucent and turning golden, about 20-30 minutes.
- Wipe down the fry pan and add the ground beef set over high heat. Break it up by stirring constantly until completely cooked through, releasing the meat juices and allowing them to evaporate.
- Combine 1 c of the sautéed onion (reserving the rest for another use), the ground beef, and the remaining filling ingredients in a large bowl. Adjust seasoning and set aside to cool.
- Separate the florets of the cauliflower from the stems and rinse. Cut into small pieces.
- Use the grater attachment on the food processor to form a "rice."
- Place in a colander and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes and squeeze dry.
- In a large skillet set over medium heat, add the riced cauliflower and cook, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is dry and golden.
- Have a small to medium-sized bowl of ice water handy. In a food processor, pulse the habra (in batches) with salt, black pepper, and 2 ice cubes about 4-5 times until it forms a smooth paste. Add to a large bowl.
- Grind the onion in the food processor and add to the habra.
- Add 1.5 c of the cauliflower rice (reserving the rest in the freezer) and remaining ingredients to the large bowl.
- Dip your hands into the ice water and fold the ingredients until fully combined.
- In batches, mix in the food processor until it comes together into a dough, about 5-10 seconds.
- Cover and rest in the fridge for about 2 hours.
- Set up your work station with a small to medium-sized bowl of ice water, a baking sheet or two, the bowl of kibbeh shell, and the filling.
- Dip your hands in ice water. Take a palm-sized amount of kibbeh shell and roll it between your hands to form a ball.
- Hollow out the inside by taking your index finger, sliding it in the middle of the kibbeh shell, and pressing it into the heel of your opposite hand repeatedly, and turning it. The outside of the shell will be about 1/8" thick (but if it's your first time, don't worry so much about the thickness, just practice), and there should be a wide hole for the filling.
- Spoon 1-2 tsp of filling into the hole and close the shell over it by continuously dipping your fingers into the ice water and running them along the seam. The kibbeh should smoothen. Flatten out one side on your palm, making a round dome shape.
- If you're having a hard time making a smooth seam, use more ice water.
- Place it on a baking tray and repeat with remaining kibbeh shell and filling.
- Preheat your oven to 350° F/180° C.
- Place about 1/4 c vegetable/cooking oil in a small bowl. Brush over the top of the kibbeh.
- Bake until fully cooked through, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and enjoy.