by Joudie Kalla
Kubbet Batata Helweh (Sweet Potato Kubbeh with Green Herby Salsa)
Kubbeh is a dish that has many flavours, styles and techniques. It is most famous in Syria, where in one city alone they have over 20 different types of kubbeh
Serves 8-10
1kg (2¼ lb) sweet potatoes
600g (1lb 5oz) fine white burghul (cracked wheat)
550-700ml (19-2fl oz) hot vegetable stock
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons dried marjoram
a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
For the salsa:
a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
a small bunch of fresh coriander
1 red chilli
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
For the filling:
150ml (5fl oz) olive oil
8 large onions, sliced
100g (3½ oz) sumac
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C/425°F/Gas 7).
Roast the potatoes in their skins for about 30 minutes. You can cut them in half to make this process faster, which also helps to caramelize the potato, adding greater flavour. Drain the potatoes of any liquid and squeeze them to remove any excess juices.
Meanwhile, soak the burghul in the hot vegetable stock for about 5 minutes and then drain well.
Make the salsa while the potatoes are cooking. Chop all the ingredients and put them in a bowl, adding the lemon juice, vinegar and oil. Season with salt and set aside.
Peel the skins from the potatoes and mash them in a bowl. Add the mash to the drained burghul, then add all the spices and the salt, diced onion, garlic, marjoram and parsley. Mix well, taste and add more seasoning if needed.
To make the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and sauté the onions until soft. Add the sumac, salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
Now to form your kubbeh. Take a golf ball-sized piece of the potato mix and roll into a ball. Use the thumb on your right hand to start hollowing the ball out, then insert a small amount of filling and mould the potato mix around the filling to seal. You should have an oval, rugby-ball shape. Repeat until all the mixture has been used.
Heat enough oil in a pan for shallow frying and fry the kubbeh for about 2-5 minutes until browned. Serve with the salsa and enjoy the sweetness of the spiced sweet potato with the tangy green salsa and sour sumac onions.
Tips: Instead of frying, you can also oven bake the kubbeh in a 200°C fan (220°C/425°F/Gas 7) oven for 30 minutes.
There are three different types of burghul (cracked wheat). One is fine white burghul as we use here; another is very fine, like semolina, and also called fine burghul (but you definitely don't want to use that type here); and lastly, there is a thick coarse variety. Be sure to use the right one for this dish, otherwise the kubbeh will be too stodgy and won't hold their shape.
Recipe and images extracted from Palestine on a Plate: Memories from my mother's kitchen by Joudie Kalla, photography by Ria Osbourne, published by Jacqui Small (£25).