Kebbe and Carrot Stew | Les Filles Fattoush

Aleppine cuisine has an impressive repertoire of kibbe recipes. Somewhere between a soup and a main dish, this one gets its vibrant colour from red carrots, which are commonly found in Aleppo. It’s the perfect dish to make when beautiful market carrots are in season. And whatever you do, don’t forget the pomegranate molasses!

Ingredients for the butter-filled kebbe balls:

• 360 g (2 cups) fine bulgur (No. 1), rinsed under cold water

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 2 ½ tbsp Aleppo pepper

• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

• 2 tbsp salt

• ¼ tsp ground allspice

• Cold water, as needed

• 500 g habra beef or ground beef

• 200 g butter, cut into 1 cm (½ in) cubes, about 95 to 100 cubes

Preparation:

In a food processor, combine the bulgur and onion. Add the spices, salt, and allspice, and mix well. Transfer to a large bowl.

Mix the bulgur thoroughly with your hands, adding a little water as needed. Gradually add the habra beef, mixing continuously until a smooth, uniform dough forms.

With wet hands, shape the mixture into 95 to 100 balls, about 13 g each, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using your index finger, make a hole in each ball and insert one cube of butter. Close the balls to seal the butter inside, then roll them well between wet hands. Set aside.

You can now use them to prepare your kebbe and car