• كبة البطاطا الحلوة •
Kibbeh is a savory Middle Eastern mainstay. This vegan Sweet Potato Kibbeh follows a classic method and features onions, cumin, paprika, and cilantro.
This Sweet Potato Kibbeh follows a similar preparation and method as my previous recipe for Baked Potato Kibbeh, so if you’ve made that one before, this one will be a snap. It differs, however, in its seasonings. Whereas regular potatoes can take spices like allspice and cinnamon and maintain a savory flavor profile, I’m not sure it’s as easy with sweet potatoes. Their sweetness is only more pronounced with such spices, so I employ cumin and paprika here to place this kibbeh firmly in a savory zone. I also throw in a clove of garlic for more depth.
When making this kibbeh, you’ll notice that it is slightly wetter in consistency when compared to one made with regular potatoes, so I add a little flour to absorb the excess moisture. It bakes up wonderfully, though, and browns nicely. If you’ve checked out the other recipe, you already know how much I love eating kibbeh and experimenting with it. This one is a keeper! 😀
- 2.5lbs (or a little over 1kg) of sweet potatoes
- 1¼ cups fine bulgur wheat (sometimes labeled as #1)
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, grated
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup finely chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- First you'll want to cook the sweet potatoes. I prefer baking them, but you can also boil them. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the bulgur wheat by soaking it in lukewarm water for 20 minutes, then drain it in a sieve and let all excess water drip away.
- Prepare your baking pan by adding 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and arranging the sliced onion pieces in a single layer on the bottom of the pan.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Mash the sweet potatoes with a masher or rice them with a potato ricer until smooth. Combine them and the drained bulgur in a very large bowl with the grated onion, salt, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, black pepper, garlic, cilantro, and flour. Combine everything thoroughly with a large spoon or spatula.
- Now plop large spoonfuls of this mixture evenly over the sliced onions in the pan. Use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly over the entire surface. You want an even level of this mixture.
- Use a knife to score diamond shapes (or any pattern you like) into it, going almost all the way through. Evenly pour the ¼ cup of olive oil over the entire surface of the kibbeh and swirl it around to coat. Bake for around 50 minutes or until it is golden brown. I like to bake it on a lower shelf in the oven.
- If after 50 minutes it doesn't brown sufficiently, use the oven's broiler function for a minute or two to brown it. (This is preferable to baking it longer and drying it out too much) Remove from oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to cool down slightly. Now you can re-score any cuts that may have sealed over. Use a spatula to remove pieces of the kibbeh, making sure you scrape up the delicious caramelized onions on the bottom.
-If you choose to boil your sweet potatoes instead of baking, peel and quarter them and start them in cool water and bring it to a boil. Once they are just tender, but not falling apart, drain them and put them back in the hot pot to dry off some excess water.
-Easily make this kibbeh gluten-free but substituting 3 cups of cooked quinoa for the bulgur wheat and replacing the flour with an equal amount of gluten-free flour or chickpea flour.
Check out another version of this dish: Baked Potato Kibbeh!
this looks lovely! will definitely try this out! my mother-in-law makes kibbeh (kubayba) with sweet potato, so this sounds familiar! thanks for sharing!
Hello Hind! Give it a go…not too difficult and it has a nice combination of flavors. Hmm… I wonder what spices mom-in-law puts in hers?? I think it’s so interesting to see how every family has their own twist on things. 😀
By the way, you’re knafeh cheesecake recipe showed up the other day in my Facebook news feed and I thought it was such a clever idea!
Oh em GEEEEEEEE Omar, this is pure perfection! Not only am I loving your food styling here but those flavours sound simply amazing. Please come and be my personal food chef?
😉
Hello and thank you Lucie! This is Middle Eastern comfort food at its best.
I’m down with the chef gig—I accept payment in lychees, pomegranates, and persimmons 😀
This looks so good! How do you think buckwheat or kasha would stand in for the bulgar? I really want to try making this, but couldn’t use bulgar or paprika. I love the food you’re sharing, it’s such a good resource and so beautifully presented 🙂
Hi Amy! I think using cooked buckwheat or kasha would be a fine substitution. They’re both a bit plumper than fine bulgur, so you’d end up with a chunkier kibbeh…but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing! Just like when using quinoa in this, though, you’d definitely want to cook the grains beforehand. (Fine bulgur is so small that soaking it is enough to hydrate it sufficiently) And for sure, you can easily omit the paprika. Maybe throw in a pinch of dried coriander if you’d like.
And thank you for your words of encouragement! 😀
Thanks so much for the advice I really appreciate it xx
Omar, I absolutely love this recipe. It’s so easy, tastes amazing and great for taking to work for lunch.
Great to hear, Um Taz! Isn’t it yummy?! And yes, I agree that it is the perfect portable lunch! 😀
Omar, I have a ton of yams to use up. Can this recipe be made with yams instead of sweet potatoes?
Thanks
Well Omar, I answered my own question!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wV_58DHkLM
Auryette! I’m so late with my response but I see you found that video! So interesting…and I just have to say that I love ALL root vegetables 😀
I have made this dish twice; once with bulgar wheat and once gluten free using a quinoa-amaranth mixture. Each was successful, savory and delicious!
Any way to get a calorie count and nutritional breakdown?
Wonderful! Thank you Isabel for confirming this for those looking to make it gluten-free!
For calorie counts and nutritional breakdown, you could use a site like this one. You simply copy and paste the whole list of ingredients into the box and select the amount of servings you want to see. Sometimes it has difficulty recognizing an ingredient, but if you click on it and help clarify what it is, it should recognize it.
This looks really good. I just finished making this recipe for my family on Ramadan (: I hope they like it. Thanks a bunch! xx
Great to hear Hajar! I hope you all have a wonderful Ramadan! 😀
Wow! Made this as part of a spread for friends yesterday, it stole the show. So good…
Too much to fit in the tin I had so am using the remainder as part of a lentil loaf for Sunday roast today.
Fantastic recipe, thanks.
Thank you Simon!! Great to hear that it was a hit. Clever use of the leftovers, too!
Can you make this with #2 bulgur? How would it be with a filling of greens as in your baked potato kibbeh recipe?
Hi CH, you can use #2 bulgur but be advised that the finished product will be more crunchy. The #2 bulgur crisps in the oven and can sometimes get rather hard on the teeth. As for the filling, this kibbeh is a bit more wet (due to the sweet potatoes having a bit more moisture) so any filling would have to be on the dry side to reduce the amount of total moisture and allow for proper cooking. It can work, just make sure you remove any excess moisture from your pre-cooked greens. Good luck! 😀