What is kibbeh nayeh?
Kibbeh nayeh, or 'raw kibbeh' is one of Lebanon's most famous delicacies. It relies on extremely fresh lean lamb or veal meat that is mixed with a little amount of fresh herbs, 'kamouneh' spices, and a bit of bulgur wheat.
My mother recalls how they used to have a special stone mortar they used to prepare it in and she claims that when they used to ground the meat down, the shear force of the stone used to kill most of the germs.
Now, I don't know how scientifically accurate that is but it's a nice thought. These days most people use food processors which is less romantic than grinding it in a stone mortar but still effective.
Similar to lots of other mediterranean dishes such as carpaccio, it is a celebration of local produce and you wouldn't dare to use old or pre-frozen meat.
Kibbeh nayeh varieties
Frakeh is very similar to this recipe except it has a bit more bulgur wheat and it is shaped by hand rather than like a mound. It also has more olive oil in it.
Melsen is another variety of kibbeh nayeh except it has very little or no bulgur wheat. It contains kamouneh spices.
Raw Kafta has no bulgur wheat but instead contains onions, parsley and seven spice rather than kamouneh.
In big family events sometimes a raw meat board is presented with all the different raw kibbeh varieties.
The Spices
You will need to source or make kibbeh spices also known as 'kamouneh'. I have the full recipe on another post but I will summarise it below:
Kamouneh spice blend
- 2tbspcumin seeds
- 1tbspdried rose petals
- 1tbspblack peppercorns
- 2tspdried marjoram
- 2tspdried basil
- 1tspdried mint
- ½tspcinnamon
- 1tbsp7 spice
- 1tspsalt
Getting the seasoning is perhaps the most important skill in preparing kibbeh nayeh. You don't want to overpower the meat with too much spice but just enough to complement the meat.
Don't confuse the spice blend (above) with the kamouneh mix, which contains bulgur wheat, onions and herbs. Therefore if you have a kamouneh mix, you can use it instead of the bulgur wheat.
The kamouneh mix contains:
- Peel of 1 orange
- 1cupfine bulgur wheat
- 1small red onion
- ½white onion
- ½birds eye chilli
Herbs
- ¼cupof fresh mint
- ¼cupfresh parsley
- ¼cupfresh basil
- 1tablespoondried marjoram
- 1tablespoondried mint
Spices
- 3tablespoonkamouneh spices
- 1tablespoon7 spice
- 2teaspoonsalt
- 2teaspoonground cinnamon
- 1teaspoonblack pepper
- 1teaspoonwhite pepper
The kamouneh mix should be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer, making it ready to be added to any kibbeh.
The Herbs
You will need to add a little fresh mint and basil to life the flavours. You can also add a little dried mediterranean herbs but again not too much so as not to overwhelm the meat flavours.
Kibbeh nayeh tips
Make sure you keep the fresh meat cold until you are ready to prepare it, and come serving time, you want it to be almost at room temperature.
Using a good food processor takes out most of the work and you want to process the meat so it achieves a fine texture, you will know when it forms a ball in the processor.
You can either ask your butcher to do this or redo it at home. Getting a good butcher you trust to give you the highest quality meat is also just as important.
You can make pretty indents to hold the oil or score knife patterns as you wish, and use a bit of water to smooth it down if it gets sticky.
How should I serve kibbeh nayeh?
Use the very best extra virgin olive oil and fresh bread to accompany. It is also customary to serve fresh herbs, radishes, cucumber and raw or spring onion with it.
Is it safe to eat raw meat?
Ultimately this depends on the quality of the meat and try to get it as fresh as possible from the butcher the same day.
If you think eating raw meat is bad for your health then you might like to know that my husband's grandfather, who is over 90 at least, eats kibbeh nayeh most days of the week and insists it be hand beaten the traditional way.
He is a picture of health and puts it down to his rural lifestyle and a frequent helping of kibbeh nayeh with lots of fresh herbs and vegetables.
📖 Recipe
Kibbeh Nayeh
Traditional Lebanese raw kibbeh with herbs and spices
CourseMain Course
CuisineLebanese
KeywordAuthentic, kibbeh,
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Author Zaatar and Zaytoun
Ingredients
- 500gof lean lamb or veal filletfat trimmed off
- ¾cupfine bulgur wheat or kamouneh spice mix
- ½small onion
- 1teaspoonkamouneh spice blend
- 1teaspoonsalt
- 3-4mint leaves
- 5-10basil leaves
- ¼teaspoondried Mediterranean herbs
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
In a food processor, blend the lamb fillets on a fine setting until it begins to clump together in a ball. Repeat if necessary to achieve an extra fine mince
Soak the bulgur wheat in water to cover for five minutes, then drain in a fine sieve
Chop the onion and herbs extra fine
In a mixing bowl, add the spices, onion, fresh and dried herbs, and salt to the meat along with the bulgur wheat. Mix together well and taste to adjust the seasoning if necessary
In a serving platter, transfer the kibbeh and use a spoon or knife to make a pretty pattern with indents. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top
Add ice on top to keep cool and serve immediately with flat breads and a selection of herbs, pickles, sliced raw onion and cucumber.
Recipe Notes
You can use either kamouneh spice blend
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Check out ourYoutubepage for full video tutorials, ourFacebook groupto discuss Lebanese cooking, as well as ourtiktok pagefor quick tips.
You might also like these other recipe from the Zaatar and Zaytoun collection:
- Eggplant Stew (Mnazalet batinjan)
- Meat and Tomato Stir Fry
- Lemon garlic steak with fries
- Kousa bil laban (zucchini in yoghurt sauce)
