🧆 Kubba halab (rice kibbeh)

Name: Kubba halab (rice kibbeh)
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Iraq · Baghdad
Ingredients: 300 g short-grain rice; 1 tsp turmeric; 300 g minced beef; 1 large onion, finely chopped; A handful of parsley, chopped; 1 tsp baharat, salt and black pepper; Oil for frying

Origin: Iraq · Baghdad

560kcal

per serving · 200 g

280kcal

per 100 g

20 gProtein10 g / 100 g

28 gFat14 g / 100 g

58 gCarbs29 g / 100 g

Kubba halab is an Iraqi croquette with a shell made from rice tinted golden with turmeric, wrapped around a filling of minced beef, onion and parsley. The torpedo-shaped pieces are deep-fried until the outside is thin and crisp while the inside stays soft and juicy. They are served hot as a snack or starter, often with pickles and fresh herbs.

Diets

✓

No porkfor halal, the meat must be halal-slaughtered

✓

Gluten-freeno wheat, barley or rye in a typical recipe

✓

Dairy-freeno milk, cheese, butter or yogurt in a typical recipe

Not vegetarianbecause of: minced beef

Not veganbecause of: minced beef

Not keto29 g carbs per 100 g

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.

What it is made of

riceminced beefonionparsleyturmericoil

Recipe

4 servings90 min

Ingredients

300 g short-grain rice
1 tsp turmeric
300 g minced beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
A handful of parsley, chopped
1 tsp baharat, salt and black pepper
Oil for frying

Method

Cook the rice with the turmeric and a little salt in plenty of water until very soft, drain well and mash or blitz into a smooth, sticky dough.
Fry the onion in 1 tbsp oil, add the beef and cook until browned. Season with baharat, salt and pepper, stir in the parsley and let cool.
With wet hands, flatten a small ball (about 40 g) of rice dough, place a spoon of filling in the centre and close it into an oval.
Deep-fry the kubba in hot oil at 175 °C for 4–5 minutes until golden, then drain on paper towels and serve hot.

How to make it lighter

Bake the kubba brushed with a little oil at 200 °C instead of deep-frying to cut the absorbed fat.
Use lean minced beef and drain the fat after browning the filling.
Count the pieces: two kubba with a large salad make a lighter meal than a full plate.

History

Despite the name, which means 'Aleppo kubba', the rice version is closely associated with Iraqi and especially Baghdadi home cooking. It is a popular dish at family gatherings and during Ramadan iftars in Iraq today.

Count it in one photo

Point your camera at the table — Me Nutrition recognises Kubba halab (rice kibbeh) and every other dish, with calories and macros for each. Ate only half? Slide it.

Download on the App Store

Similar dishes

Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →