Lamb croquette recipe from Iraqi chef Philip Juma

This dish, known as Kubba Haleb, is a taste sensation, says Philip Juma
Agnieszka Orzel
Philip Juma14 April 2016

We are heading back to the ‘kubba’ family to cook up one of the most popular dishes; Kubba Haleb. Traditionally an Iraqi dish, however, the name ‘haleb’ is from the ancient city in Syria. It is made from rice, stuffed with lamb and fried to perfection. Crunchy on the outside, with a soft, spiced mixture on the inside, this dish really plays with all of your senses and is a taste sensation that you will never forget!

Ingredients (makes 30 kubba)

2 cups basmati rice

1 tsp tumeric

2 cups lamb mince (with fat)

I small bunch of parsley, finely chopped.

1 small onion, finely chopped.

2 heaped tsp JUMA baharat spice (cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, black pepper, nutmeg, cloves)

Salt

Sunflower oil for frying

Method

For the shell:

Soak the rice for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and drain.

Place the rice in a saucepan and pour enough water that it comes up to just less than covering it.

Season with salt and the turmeric. Stir gently so all the grains are covered.

Bring to a gentle simmer and keep the lid on. Do not touch it for 20-25 minutes. The rice should have absorbed all of the water and take on a yellow colour. Don’t be frightened to over-cook the rice - that's a good thing.

Once the liquid is absorbed, turn the heat off. Keep the rice covered. Leave to cool.

Once cool, put the cooked rice through a potato-ricer. (Alternatively you can kneed it with your hands or place on a food processor). You are looking to make a dough-like mix, however, don’t over kneed it so it turns to a thick puree. You still want some texture in your rice shell.

For the stuffing:

In a separate pan, finely chop the onion and fry in a splash of olive oil.

Sweat for 5 minutes, and then add the lamb mince. Season with salt.

After 5 minutes, add the JUMA baharat.

Once all combined, and the lamb mince is not too wet (from the fat), add your finely chopped parsley. Stir and take off the heat. Set to cool.

To make the kubba:

With damp hands, create a disc from the rice blend in the palm of your hands.

Add the lamb mince. Encase within the rice shell. To follow tradition, you want to shape it like a torpedo.

Set aside on greaseproof paper. Allow for the dumplings to air dry for an hour. You should prep at least 30 kubba. (Freeze any kubba that you don’t want to fry immediately).

Heat the oil to 170°C. Fry until golden brown. Drain on greaseproof paper.

Enjoy!

Philip Juma is the founder of Juma Kitchen. Follow him on Twitter @PhilipJuma and @JumaKitchen. Find more of his recipes for the Evening Standard here.

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