Today I’m sharing Kibbeh Safarjaliyeh, or Quince, Kibbeh and Lamb Stew.
I’m so excited to share this dish! It’s uniquely and quintessentially Aleppo and fairly unknown outside the ancient city. Kibbeh Safarjaliyeh is so deliciously comforting. Quince, a golden-yellow pear-looking fruit, is cooked in a sweet and sour broth flavored with tons of garlic, dried mint, fresh pomegranate juice and tomato puree. Tender, succulent pieces of lamb add some substance to the stew. Balls of stuffed kibbeh are the star of this dish, but if you’re intimidated by process or are short on time, they’re definitely optional.
Due to its opportune location on the Spice Trade route, Aleppo received an abundance of influence from China. Its people adopted the signature flavor profile of sweet and sour, which is quite unique for the Arab world. Kibbeh Safarjaliyeh is one of the dishes that comes from the impact of Aleppo’s exposure to Eastern cultures, and so is another dish that I hope to feature someday: Kabab Karaz (Kebab in Tart Cherry Sauce).
Aleppo is queen to kibbeh. The Comparative Encyclopedia of Aleppo by Khair al Din al Asadi boasts 58 different varieties in the city alone. Kibbeh Safarjaliyeh is often prepared in the fall when quince is in season. The fruit is quite inedible while raw, and becomes sweet and tart when cooked. Along with preparing this dish, it’s often made into jam.
As you guys know already, my family is from Homs. I didn’t try this dish until adulthood, but I wanted to feature it, since I’ve come to fall in love with the diverse cuisine of Aleppo. I have my mother-in-law to thank for guiding me with this one. I feel privileged to have a window into the soul of Aleppo cooking!
You start by making a simple meat broth, like so many other Syrian dishes, making sure to cook the meat 3/4 of the way through. You prepare the quince by slicing into quarters, removing the core and seeds and chopping into chunks, placing the chopped pieces in an ice lemon bath to prevent browning. You then sauté garlic, add dried mint, equal parts pomegranate juice and tomato puree, meat broth, meat and quince. You cook everything for about 10-15 minutes.
The kibbeh is what makes this dish a little more complicated. You can leave it out if you like, but I strongly encourage you to give it a try! Like I mentioned in my other kibbeh posts, it helps to have a trusty butcher to help prepare your meat. Tell him you need a really lean piece of meat, ground very finely. My mom likes to use ground beef, since she lives in the US. Since I’ve moved to Dubai, I’ve come to love lamb, especially since we get some good quality stuff from Syria. The choice is up to you, depending on where you live. Most recipes call for you to grind the onion and bulgur together in a meat grinder. The good news is that if you have a food processor and a stand mixer, they will work just fine.
The filling is prepared by cooking up ground meat with lightly caramelized onions and pine nuts. You make the meat and bulgur shell by taking a 1-inch ball and pressing it into your palm until it becomes hallowed out. It’s important to keep a bowl of ice water next to you to prevent sticking and so the meat stays cold. Once the shell is formed, a spoon of filling goes in, and the shell is closed by continuously dipping your fingers in the ice water.
Traditionally, the kibbeh is boiled for a few minutes with cinnamon and cardamom. I find the texture is better if the kibbeh is lightly fried or roasted in the oven for about 10 minutes. Extra kibbeh can be kept in the freezer for later use.
I separated the kibbeh and quince stew recipes below for ease. I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to tag @omayah.atassi and #omayahcooks on Instagram! I love to see your creations!
Kibbeh Safarjaliyeh (Quince, Kibbeh and Lamb Stew)
A hearty, sweet and sour stew that is often served in the fall in Aleppo. Feel free to leave the kibbeh out if you're short on time or if the process intimidates you. Serve with extra pieces of kibbeh or vermicelli rice.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
One recipe of Stew Kibbeh (see below)
1 lb (500 g) cleaned and deboned lamb shoulder, option to reserve the bones
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp 7 spices
1/2 tsp black pepper
2-3 quince
2 Tbsp clarified butter or vegetable oil
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried mint
16 oz (500 ml) fresh pomegranate juice
16 oz (500 g) tomato puree
Salt to taste
Vermicelli rice for serving
- Make the meat broth by placing a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Add the meat and bones (if using) and brown the meat on all sides. Add the onions, 7 spices, black pepper and 2 tsp salt. Cook until onions are soft, about 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Add 4 c of water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer until easily pierced with a fork but not falling apart, about 1 hour.
- Drain the meat, reserving the liquid. Discard the bones. Meat and broth can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Prepare the quince by filling a large bowl with ice water and slices of lemon. Cut the quince in quarters. Remove the core and seeds and chop into 1-inch chunks. Add quince to the lemon ice water to prevent browning.
- Prepare the quince by filling a large bowl with ice water and slices of lemon. Cut the quince in quarters. Remove the core and seeds and chop into 1-inch chunks. Add quince to the lemon ice water to prevent browning.
- Add the clarified butter or vegetable oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the dried mint and give it a quick stir.
- Add the pomegranate juice, tomato puree and about 3 c of the meat broth. Use as much meat broth as you like, but you want it to be quite soupy. Add the meat and quince and bring the pot to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the quince is tender but not too soft.
- Add the kibbeh balls during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. Serve immediatley with vermicelli rice.
- Serve immediately with vermicelli rice or extra kibbeh. Can be prepared up to 3 hours ahead. If you have leftovers, refrigerate the kibbeh in a separate container from the stew.
Stew Kibbeh
These stuffed shells of bulgur, onions and ground meat can be fried or added to various stews.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Filling:
1 lb (500 g) ground meat, either beef or lamb
1 onion, chopped finely
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c pine nuts, toasted
2 tsp 7 spices
Salt & pepper
Kibbeh:
1 lb very lean (0% fat) meat, either beef or lamb, ground finely
4 ice cubes, plus more for ice water
1/2 tsp baking soda, divided
2 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp black pepper, divided
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 lb fine bulgur, washed and squeezed dry
- Make the filling by cooking the ground meat over high heat and breaking it up constantly until brown all the way through and no liquid remains. Season with 7 spices, salt and pepper. Set aside in a medium bowl.
- Add olive oil and onions to the same pan set over medium heat. Cook until onions are lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add to the bowl of ground meat. Toss in the pine nuts.
- Combine the bulgur wheat, onion and 1 tsp salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until combined. Set aside and clean out bowl.
- Working in batches, combine a large handful of the lean ground meat, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and 2 ice cubes in the same bowl and process until combined. Repeat with remaining meat.
- Add the meat and wheat mixtures in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium high until combined, about 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
- Prepare your work area with a medium bowl of ice water, your meat and bulgur shell and the meat stuffing. Dip your hands in the ice water. Take a one-inch ball and roll it between your palms to make smooth. Hollow out the inside of the ball by pressing with your index finger against your palm, dipping your fingers in the ice water first. Add about 1 tsp of filling and close the shell by dipping your fingers in the ice water and closing around the filling. Set balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- If using kibbeh for stew, preheat oven to 350F/180C. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, lightly deep fry the balls for 2 minutes.
- Extra balls can be frozen for future use.
