Baked Bulgur & Beef Kibbeh

📝 Ingredients

• 200 g fine bulgur
• 600 g minced beef 5 % fat (400 g for the dough, 200 g for the filling)
• 2 brown onions (½ for the dough, 1 ½ for the filling)
• 40 g flaked almonds
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon (1 for the dough, 1 for the filling) + 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp olive oil (1 for the filling, 1 for the dish and the top)
• 300 g Greek yoghurt 2 %
• 1 cucumber (about 300 g)
• 1 garlic clove + 10 g fresh mint
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Fine sieve
• Mixing bowl
• Blender or food processor
• Frying pan
• Baking dish, about 20 × 30 cm
• Grater

📖 Steps

1. Rinse the bulgur in a fine sieve, cover it with cold water in the mixing bowl and leave to swell for 15 minutes. Drain, squeezing it firmly by the handful to remove as much water as possible: dough that's too wet cracks during baking.
2. Make the dough: blend 400 g of the minced beef with ½ onion in chunks, 1 tsp cinnamon, the cumin, 1 tsp salt and some pepper. Add the bulgur and pulse until you have a smooth, sticky dough. If it crumbles, add 2 tbsp ice-cold water.
3. Make the filling: toast the almonds in the dry frying pan for 2 minutes over a medium heat, then set aside. In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and gently cook the remaining one and a half onions, thinly sliced, for 8 minutes, until soft and golden.
4. Add the remaining 200 g minced beef, break it up with the spatula and cook for 5 minutes over a medium-high heat, until the meat is no longer pink. Season with the remaining cinnamon, salt and pepper, then stir in the almonds. Leave to cool slightly.
5. Preheat the oven to 190 °C and lightly oil the dish. With wet hands, spread half the dough over the bottom in an even 1 cm layer, pressing it right into the corners. Spread the filling over the top without packing it down.
6. Flatten the rest of the dough into patties between wet hands and lay them side by side over the filling to cover it completely. Smooth the surface with damp fingertips, sealing the joins well.
7. Score diamonds with a knife right down to the bottom of the dish, then drizzle the top with the rest of the oil. Bake for 35 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the edges come away from the dish.
8. Meanwhile, grate the cucumber, squeeze it between your hands to remove the water, then mix it into the yoghurt with the grated garlic, chopped mint, salt and pepper. Serve the diamonds hot or warm with the chilled yoghurt.