Kibe, or kibbeh or quibe, is a fried and tapered meatball made with bulgur and beef.
The recipe has Arab origins and arrived in Brazil with the arrival of Syrian-Lebanese immigrants, and originally it was made with mutton.
The name kibe comes from the Arabic word “kubbeh,” which means “ball.”
Often found fried and sold on the roadside in every Brazilian locality, and even in Rio de Janeiro, the first destination of our journey through the world’s most famous carnivals, for the column “build the menu.”
Until 1984, the venue for Rio’s Carnival was one of the oldest streets in Rio, Marquês de Sapucaí Avenue.
But the popularity of the Carnival led to the construction of reinforced concrete structures on both sides of the street. Designed by Oscar Niemeyer, the building was commissioned by the name “sambadrome” and has hosted the Samba Parade since 1984.
Each samba school presents different themes each year, and each has about 85 minutes to showcase its work.
Carnival Sunday and Monday are the two main days, in which twelve of the samba schools compete for the championship title.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 15/18 pieces
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups bulgur (or trigo para kibe)
- 1.1 lbs ground beef
- 1 onion
- to taste mint
- to taste salt and pepper
- to taste seed oil
- 4 1/4 cups hot water
Steps
Place the bulgur (the trigo para kibe) in a bowl, cover with water and let it rest for at least three hours.
Then squeeze out the water using a clean cloth.
In a blender, blend the onion with mint, salt, and pepper.
In a bowl, combine both mixtures and add the meat, mix and shape to give the typical kibe shape, which is a slightly elongated ball.
Note: work the mixture well with your hands to prevent it from breaking during frying.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the kibe until golden brown.
Serve hot.
Bulgur in Brazil is sold precisely as trigo para kibe, grain for kibe.
