Kubba Mosul
Two filled cracked-wheat and bulgur discs with lamb.
Preparation: 40 min · Cooking: 20 min · Total: 1 hr 45 min · 2 servings
Ingredients
- 120 ml Fine bulgur
- Small onion, finely minced — 1
- 240 ml Fine cracked wheat (Jreish)
- 240 ml Warm water for the grain shell
- 200 g Raw lean minced lamb
- 0.25 tsp Ground allspice
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Extra shell water only if needed; measure small additions (optional)
- Separate water for poaching, enough for the pot
Instructions
Mix grains and shell water
Mix the Jreish, bulgur and a little salt. Add the measured 240 ml warm shell water for the base two servings.
Rest the grains
Rest the covered grain mixture for about 30 minutes; inspect absorption before kneading.
Rest the grains: 1800 seconds
Cook the lamb filling
Cook lamb and onion over medium heat in a suitable nonstick skillet, using their released juices and fat. Begin checks around 8 minutes and verify 74°C in the filling. No added sauté fat is included.
Cook the lamb filling: 480 seconds
Season and chill filling
Season with allspice, salt and pepper. Spread filling in shallow portions and refrigerate promptly, aiming within 1 hour at 4°C or colder. Use chilled filling during assembly.
Knead the grain shell
Knead the rested grain dough until cohesive. If necessary, use small measured additions of the separately listed shell water. Grain fineness affects binding; if it cannot seal, stop rather than invent extra flour or shell meat.
Portion and roll layers
Divide base dough into four equal balls. Roll two matching thin but sound layers between clean food-contact sheets. Keep the filling chilled while working.
Fill and seal two discs
Enclose half the filling between the first pair of layers, with a clear border. Seal firmly and repeat with remaining dough and filling: two filled discs, not four. Half batch makes one disc; fourfold makes eight.
Prepare poaching water
Bring separate poaching water with salt to a boil in a wide suitable pot. Remove every plastic sheet before supporting each disc into the water. Use freshly assembled, unfrozen discs.
Poach and check centres
Poach in manageable batches, beginning checks around 5–7 minutes. Floating alone is insufficient. Continue until the grain shell has no hard or raw centre and filling reaches 74°C; lift with suitable support and serve hot.
Poach and check centres: 300 seconds
Store safely
Cool promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate, aiming within 1 hour, at 4°C or colder. Use within 24 hours. This is a selected conservative household limit, not a validated shelf life.
Tips
- Ingredient quantities scale exactly; instruction amounts describe the base 2 servings. Cup = 240 ml, tbsp = 15 ml and tsp = 5 ml. Times are first checks, not readiness guarantees; use manageable batches and suitable vessels.
Common mistakes
- Keep raw meat and raw flour dough separate from ready-to-eat food. Do not taste raw dough, grain shells or meat. Distinguish initial liquid, discarded process water, derived broth and conditional additions.
Substitutions
- Only alternatives explicitly listed in this ingredient formula are included; do not restore ingredients from an older draft.
Storage
Cool promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate, aiming within 1 hour, at 4°C or colder. Use within 24 hours. This is a selected conservative household limit, not a validated shelf life.
Reheating
Reheat only the portion needed, at most once, to 74°C throughout. Check meat, filling and any soaked bread centres; rice leftovers must have been cooled quickly and used within 24 hours.
About this recipe
Kubba Mosul is presented as the owner's Iraqi household version. Specific ancient origins, health benefits and exclusive regional claims have not been independently authenticated.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.