Ingredients
1 kg pumpkin, washed, peeled and cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups fine bulgur
5 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
oil for frying
Stuffing:
1/2 cup chickpeas, soaked in water overnight, peeled and halved
1/2 kg swiss chard, leaves without the stems and cut into small pieces
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons pomegranate syrup
pepper to taste
salt to taste
Cooking method according to shahiya.com
1. Put the pumpkin cubes in a pot, cover with water and boil over heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are well cooked.
2. Transfer the pumpkin cubes to a strainer, leave to cool and then squeeze.
3. In a large bowl, put the pumpkin and add the burghul, flour and salt. Knead well until you get a well combined pumpkin dough. Put in the fridge for half an hour to cool.
4. To prepare the stuffing, put the vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat, add the chopped onions and stir for 2 minutes.
5. Add the chickpeas, swiss chard, pomegranate syrup, pepper and salt. Stir the mixture over medium heat for around 5 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
6. To prepare the pumpkin kibbeh balls, shape the pumpkin dough into egg-sized balls. Hold a ball in one hand and form a hole in the middle of it using the index finger of the other hand. Widen the hole by turning the kibbeh ball and pressing its inside walls gently against your palm. Make sure that the shell is uniformly thick. It is important to moisturize your hands in cold water as you work in order to give a smooth finish to the kibbeh ball.
7. Fill the hole with 2 teaspoons of stuffing and close it, forming an oval shape kibbeh with pointed ends. Set aside on a tray.
8. Repeat the process until all the pumpkin dough balls are turned into stuffed pumpkin kibbeh balls.
9. In a deep frying pan, fry the stuffed kibbeh balls in preheated vegetable oil for 2-4 minutes or until they become golden brown. Place the fried kibbeh balls on a serving dish and allow to cool before serving.
10. Serve with pickles or a green salad.
H.Zoghib