← Nouns Cooking · Lebanese & Turkish

Ingredients

• 200 g fine bulgur wheat
• 500 g very lean beef or lamb mince
• 1 Onion, quartered
• 1 handful fresh mint or basil leaves (optional)
• 1 tsp Allspice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1½ tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 50 g Pine nuts
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 300 g beef or lamb mince
• 1 tsp Allspice
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 5 tbsp olive oil, for the top
• 200 g plain yogurt, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Rinse the bulgur, cover with cold water and soak for 20 min. Drain in a sieve and squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands.
2. For the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and toast the pine nuts for 2–3 min until golden; scoop them out. Cook the chopped onion for 8 min until soft, then add the mince and fry for 8–10 min, breaking it up, until browned. Stir in the spices, salt, pepper and pine nuts and leave to cool.
3. For the shell, pulse the onion, mint, spices and salt to a paste in a food processor. Add the meat and bulgur and process for 2–3 min, adding iced water a tablespoon at a time, until it forms a smooth, soft, slightly sticky dough.
4. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F) and oil a baking tray about 23 × 33 cm. With wet hands, press half the shell mixture evenly over the base, about 1 cm thick.
5. Spread the filling over it. Flatten the rest of the shell into patties between wet palms, lay them over the top to cover, then smooth and seal the joins with wet fingers.
6. With a sharp knife, score the top into diamonds, cutting right through to the base, and press a hole in the centre of each with your finger. Pour the olive oil evenly over the top.
7. Bake for 35–40 min until deep brown at the edges and the top is crisp. Rest for 10 min, then serve warm or at room temperature with yogurt and a salad.

Tips

• Ask the butcher for very lean meat ground twice; any gristle stops the shell turning smooth.
• Contains pine nuts and gluten (bulgur). Leave out the yogurt to keep it dairy-free.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Simply Lebanese Maureen Abood Feel Good Foodie