Kubba, Unadorned

This is a large recipe which can either serve 12 hungry people or be frozen for later use.

Outer shell
6 cups basmati rice
2 pounds 93% lean ground beef
2 Tbsp. water
2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Soak rice overnight, then drain. In a food processor, grind rice until it is the consistency of coarse sand. Continue to blend while adding ground beef, 1/2 cup at a time, until it is well mixed and starts to stick together. Add salt and pepper, then adjust to taste.

Divide and shape the shell into into 60 or more balls of equal size.

Filling
1 pound 80% lean ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped (volume by cup)
1 teaspoon 7-spice powder*
1/2 -1 teaspoon salt

Assembly
Hollow out the balls of shell, creating pockets for the filling. Tuck a teaspoon of filling into each shell and close smoothly. Drop into boiling sauce of your choice and cook until kubba rise to the top, then at least 5 minutes more. Avoid over-boiling kubba so they don't break apart in the sauce.



Enjoy!

*Purchase in Middle Eastern markets. Can be substituted for a mixture of cumin, allspice and cloves.

Kubba Yachni

In the litany of kubba varieties, this one is our absolute, hands-down favorite. It's also known as kubba hummus, since chick peas are the defining ingredient. The sauce is a rich but light-colored lamb broth with tender, delicious chick peas, seasoned simply with onion, salt, and pepper. Mama showed me how to do this in April of '06 when we visited my in-laws in the Middle East. Since then, I've interviewed her, Aunty Seta and Aunt Suad at length about what goes in and what stays out, then gone out on a limb and experimented on my own. So far, according to the Scientist, this version is closest to the way it's supposed to be. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly, I can never be sure) around here, we prefer traditionalism to fusion. Go figure. Anyhow, let's get cooking!

Kubba Yachni
1 cup dry chick peas
9 cups water
1 lb. lamb shoulder with bone, fat trimmed
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt or more to taste
1 medium onion, quartered
1 tsp onion powder

12-16 prepared kibbe (recipe here)

Soak the chick peas overnight. Drain, then place in a large stock pot with fresh clear water, lamb and onion. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour or so.

Add salt and pepper and simmer another 10 minutes. Taste broth and adjust seasonings.

Return to a full boil, drop in the kibbe (about 12 at a time), and cook on high until they rise to the top of the pot, usually about 10-20 minutes, depending on their size. Boil for at least 5 more minutes, until the kibbe are fully cooked.

Accompany with a green salad and raw white onions. Serves 3-4.

Good cooks'll tell ya
Add salt to beans (chick peas and the like) after they're completely cooked. Otherwise, they just won't soften, even after hours of boiling. I think it has something to do with osmosis. Ask a biologist. Hmmm...speaking of biologists, I think I'll call my sister Grover (not her real name)!

P.S. If you prefer a leaner broth, make the sauce the day before and refrigerate it overnight. Before boiling the kubba, skim off the fat and re-trim the lamb.

Kubba Technique 101

You asked for it, and here it is, a step-by-step visual demonstration of how to get the filling into the kibbe, a question at least as haunting as how they get the white stuff into the Twinkies. The major difference is that you WANT to eat the kubba, and if you can make it, relatives will line up inside your kitchen and down the hall, your husband will either dissolve into a melty puddle of affection and tenderness, or walk about 6 inches taller from sheer pride in his woman, and you, habipti, can rest easy knowing you're ensuring the continuation of good culinary traditions from generation to generation. And I do believe that's worth something.

Before beginning, credits: my sweet mother-in-law (commonly known as Mama) is the model and source of most of the factual information given here. I've also talked with and been influenced by Aunty Seta and Aunt Suad on the subject of kubba. Last Christmas (2006) I ate kibbe in at least 4 different households and formed some of my own opinions as well. That was a lot, and I mean A LOT, of fun. This is Iraqi comfort food at its best, and I love love love it.

Shall we begin?

Ingredients
Outer shell

• 3 cups basmati rice (I like Royal)
  
• A scant pound 90% or leaner ground beef
  
• Salt to taste, beginning with 1/2 teaspoon per cup rice and 1 teaspoon per pound beef.
  
• Pepper to taste.
  

Filling

• A pound or more 80-85% lean ground beef
  
• Salt
  
• Ground black pepper
  
• Optional: diced onion, 7 spice powder or a combination of cumin, allspice and ground cloves. Start with 1/4 -1/2 tsp. each, then taste and adjust.
  

Soak rice overnight to achieve the proper consistency.

Drain the rice.

Transfer soaked rice to a food processor. Note to Self: I want a new food processor for Christmas next year. Essence of electrical burning is not my idea of a pleasin' kitchen aroma.

Add salt and pepper. It's important to do this often as you add more ingredients, to ensure a proper balance between rice, meat, salt, and spice.

Run the food processor until the rice becomes somewhat granular.

While still running the food processor, start adding beef, a handful at a time. For the shell, we have used lean ground beef. Why lean? It's preferable to more fatty varieties because it helps ensure that the shell holds its shape while it's being boiled. Fat acts more as a tenderizer/lubricant than a glue here. You need a little, but too much in the outer shell raises the chances of the kibbe disintegrating while they boil. After all this work, you're going to be sad (and maybe mad) if things fall apart. Since food should make you happy, be picky about your beef.

Handful by handful, keep adding ground beef, keeping an eye on the coloring. You want a nice pink (not red) mix.

The goal is to have a thick, sticky but workable mixture, so add a little water if it seems like it's dry and grainy vs. sticky.

You're done when the color is like this. I've given quantity guidelines in the ingredients here, but next time I make kubba I'll carefully measure so I can make a more exact recommendation on the proportion of rice to meat, for those of us who like things to be precise and measured.

For the filling, use 80-85% lean beef. A fattier grade of ground beef is needed for the filling because it should have a marked contrast in color, flavor, and texture from the shell. In the words of my father-in-law, the filling should be "fluffy." In a beefy sort of way.

When making kubba khaesi (sweet kubba), simply season with salt and pepper. If I'm making kubba yahqni (chick pea) or kubba hamuth (sour) I like to add the onion and spices, because I think it deepens the overall taste in a nice way. Some cooks like to stick with salt and pepper (and sometimes onion) and allow the sauce to season the kibbe, but I like my flavors intense, so I spice everything up. Being demonstrated here is the kubba recipe for use with kubba khaesi (sweet kubba), so it is seasoned only with salt and pepper. For the other varieties of kubba (hamuth, yachni) I typically add diced onion and either 7 spice powder or some combination of cumin, allspice, and cloves.

This shows the contrast in color between the shell and the filling.

Before starting, line a tray with plastic wrap to receive the kubba. Arrange the tray, filling, shell, and a bowl of ice water all within arm's reach.

Have a bowl of ice water nearby to wet your hands if they get too sticky to work with, which they invariably do.

Note on the question of size: smaller kubba is considered more refined than larger kubba. Larger kubba takes less time to make since all things being equal there are fewer to make and require less precision. Larger kubba take longer to cook than small ones, for obvious reasons. The cook gets to evaluate her or his kubba needs and proceed accordingly.

Now let's get started! Pinch off a lump of shell mixture about the size of a walnut. Roll it into a ball.

With your thumb or finger, poke a hole in the ball and then pinch the sides until you've transformed your ball into a bowl (remember ceramics class?).

Now pinch a glob of filling and deposit it into your nice little bowl. The blob of meat should be almost (but not quite) as big as the original shell glob, ensuring that there will be enough filling to flavor the kubba without making it impossible to close the shell around the filling.

Now fold the sides of the shell over to encapsulate the filling. This may take some practice, but believe me, you'll get the hang of it if you stick with it (get it? stick? 'cause it's...never mind.)

Get all those edges folded over the top and smooth them down a little.

Next, between your hands, gently press the little ball until it's somewhat on the flat side...think flying saucer.

Now you're done! And isn't it cute. Now just repeat this about a hundred times. HA! No really...do it. And think of what a domestic diva you're becoming. And about how happy that man of yours is gonna be when he sinks his teeth into one of these. And about how you only have to do this a couple of times a year if you play your cards right, because these babies freeze like a charm. You don't even have to defrost them before plopping them into the sauce when cooking time rolls around.

Layer the kibbe on plastic wrap (I haven't tried parchment paper, but I wonder if that would work, considering these are going in the freezer?), being sure they aren't touching. Since they're kinda flat anyhow, don't worry about laying them on top of each other. No harm done if they get a little flatter.

When all the outer shell is gone, you're done! Finito! Hallas! Now if you have a sauce prepared, plop however many kubba you want into the pot and boil until they float to the top. Cooking time varies depending on the size of your kubba, but when they rise to the top, try one...it's probably done. Meanwhile, put the rest into the freezer. Once they've hardened, transfer them into a dated ziplock bag and pull them out as needed.

CONGRATULATIONS! You've accomplished something good today. The subject of sauces I'll save for another post, but these little gems are the foundation for a variety of beloved traditional Iraqi meals.

Kubba Notes

This is the beginnings of a series of kubba posts. My goal is to include detailed recipes, illustrated instructions, and possibly even video demos to make the whole process more transparent. I'll add info here, then post the recipes one by one as they're ready for human consumption.

History of Kubba (interview with my father-in-law, December 2007).
Kubba came to Iraq during the Assyrian dynasty. An Assyrian empirical palace library was discovered dating back to about 2500 years ago, in which were found books referencing the king's palace and a big banquet that was held at which kubba was served. All the most wealthy and powerful individuals in the empire were invited to be the king's guests, and the price of admission was steep (yes, they paid to attend). The purpose of the banquet was to identify the high rollers who needed to pay more taxes, but the invitees didn't know that until they arrived with their admission fees and thus proof of their affluence. Gulp! Kubba kbebo was the variety of kubba served and a recipe was included. It contained wheat, boiled, crushed and mixed with meat.

When tomato came from the New World, it was added to sauces made for kubba. The invading Mongols brought sweet and sour things from China. My father-in-law thinks (but acknowledges that it's pure speculation) that perhaps this is when sweet kubba originated.

Additional notes: Basterma is undoubtedly from the Mongols, particularly the variety with spices on top. Dolma is Armenian, not Turkish, but the Turks adopted it.

Kubba Tradition (interview with my mother-in-law, December 2007)
Kubba Khaesi (Kubba in sweet apricot sauce) is a special and complicated dish eaten on happy occasions like New Year's Day and when newlyweds return from their honeymoon. Since the setting where it is eaten is so specific, it's usually only prepared a couple of times a year. This sweet variation of the adored kubba dish is well-loved by Maslawis (the locals of Musul, in northern Iraq). Can be eaten as a meal on its own (for instance if a couple is celebrating New Years by themselves), but is usually served as part of a celebratory meal with friends and family.


Accompaniments for sweet kubba
Chicken and turkey, both stuffed with rice, meat, and nuts such as chestnuts, pine nuts or almonds; white basmati rice, hummus, salad, eggplant, fasoulyah beytha or potato curry, or a vegetarian curry

Sweet Kubba Sauce
Boil the lamb bone. When it is cooked, add the rest of the ingredients. Lemon juice goes in at the end.

Ingredients
lamb bone
date syrup
figs
dry apricot
raisin
juice of half a lemon
almonds
salt and pepper

Directions
Make a rich, syrupy sauce (but not a thick one). When the flavor is right, drop the kubba in and boil until they rise to the top. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Other Kubbas
Kubba Hamuth (sour Kubba) is eaten whenever the urge strikes; no special occasion required. Same with kubba yachni (also called kubba hummus), made with chick peas.