Kebab Uruk

Scallion and parsley patties with beef or lamb, flour and cumin.

Preparation: 15 min · Cooking: 10 min · Total: 50 min · 2 servings

Ingredients

• 120 ml Fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 250 g Raw minced beef OR lamb, approximately 20% fat
• 60 ml All-purpose flour
• Scallions, chopped — 2
• 1 tsp Ground turmeric
• 0.5 tsp Ground cumin
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 4 tbsp Vegetable oil, total shallow-frying allowance

Instructions

1. Measure this recipe and prepare safely

   For the base 2 servings of Kebab Uruk, measure the ingredient list before starting. Cup = 240 ml, tbsp = 15 ml and tsp = 5 ml. Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat food and refrigerate perishables until needed.

2. Use one meat alternative

   Use 250 g raw minced beef OR lamb, not both quantities. Mix with 120 ml parsley, 2 chopped scallions, 1 tsp turmeric, 0.5 tsp cumin, salt and black pepper.

3. Combine the meat and greens

   Mix with clean hands from about 4 minutes until evenly combined. Do not taste raw meat. This scallion/cumin version stays distinct from the separate Aruk recipe.

   Combine the meat and greens: 240 seconds

4. Incorporate the flour

   Add the measured 60 ml flour and mix from about 2 minutes until cohesive. No bulb onion or sumac is added. Raw flour in this mixture also needs thorough cooking.

   Incorporate the flour: 120 seconds

5. Chill if needed for shaping

   If needed for shaping, chill the covered mixture for about 20 minutes at any batch size. Keep waiting portions at 4°C or colder; chilling is not a treatment that makes raw meat safe.

   Chill if needed for shaping: 1200 seconds

6. Shape similar thin patties

   Shape manageable similar oval patties about 1 cm thick using a spoon or clean barely damp hands away from the stove. No exact patty count is guaranteed. Keep water away from hot oil.

7. Divide the frying oil

   Heat part of the total 4 tbsp oil over medium heat. Divide the single 60 ml allowance across uncrowded batches. Half uses 2 tbsp; fourfold 16 tbsp.

8. Check the first side

   Pan-fry over medium heat, checking the first side from about 4 minutes until golden, adjusting heat before scorching.

   Check the first side: 240 seconds

9. Turn and cook the centre

   Turn carefully and begin second-side checks around 4 minutes. Continue until meat and flour centres are fully cooked, not merely crisp outside.

   Turn and cook the centre: 240 seconds

10. Verify the meat temperature

    Check the thickest centres with a clean thermometer: the selected household target is 74°C. The guidance minimum for ground beef/lamb is 71°C; 74°C is a conservative choice, not a universal legal requirement.

11. Drain and serve warm

    Drain cooked patties on suitable paper or a rack and serve warm using clean utensils. Do not place cooked patties on the raw-meat plate.

12. Portion and store safely

    Refrigerate promptly in shallow portions, aiming within 1 hour, at 4°C or colder. Use within 24 hours. Do not leave a deep pot to cool on the counter. This selected household limit is not a validated shelf life.

Tips

• Ingredient quantities scale exactly; instruction quantities describe the base 2-serving batch. Use equivalent vessels or manageable batches. Times remind you to check, not to ignore doneness.

Common mistakes

• Do not add ingredients from the previous scaffold or treat initial water, discarded process water and optional top-ups as one fixed consumed total.

Substitutions

• Only alternatives explicitly named in the ingredient list are included in this master.

Storage

Refrigerate promptly in shallow portions, aiming within 1 hour, at 4°C or colder. Use within 24 hours. Do not leave a deep pot to cool on the counter. This selected household limit is not a validated shelf life.

Reheating

Reheat appropriate leftovers at most once to 74°C throughout, then serve immediately. Rice must be cooled promptly and kept no longer than 24 hours; reheating does not rescue mishandled food.

About this recipe

Kebab Uruk is presented here as an owner-supplied Iraqi household version. Specific ancient origins or universal regional claims have not been independently verified.

Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.