Iraqi · appetizer

Kubbat Mosul (Flat Bulgur-Shelled Meat Discs)

Name: Kubbat Mosul (Flat Bulgur-Shelled Meat Discs)
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Cuisine: Iraqi
Ingredients: bulgur — 300 g; rice flour — 150 g; salt — 5 g; cold water — 300 g; turmeric — 3 g; lamb — 350 g; onions — 240 g; sunflower oil — 41 g; blanched almonds — 60 g; raisins — 40 g; baharat — 10 g; salt — 5 g; freshly ground black pepper — 3 g; water — 3000 g

Kubbat Mosul (Flat Bulgur-Shelled Meat Discs) reads sweetness 5.0, richness 4.8 and salinity 4.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Iraqi appetizer, about 2 hr 10 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 5.0 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 6.2 / 10
Sour & Bright — 0.7 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.5 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.9 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sweetness 5.0 · Richness 4.8 · Salinity 4.4 · Umami 4.4 · Fruity 3.8 · Nutty 3.6 · Allium 3.6 · Earthy 2.3 · Warm Spice 1.4 · Funk & Ferment 1.2 · Herbaceous 1.2 · Bitterness 1.1 · Sourness 0.7 · Heat 0.5

What's in it (14)

bulgur — 300 g
rice flour — 150 g
salt — 5 g
cold water — 300 g
turmeric — 3 g
lamb — 350 g
onions — 240 g
sunflower oil — 41 g
blanched almonds — 60 g
raisins — 40 g
baharat — 10 g
salt — 5 g
freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
water — 3000 g

Time & effort: about 2 hr 10 min (1 hr 20 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 62.8 kcal, 3 g protein, 1.9 g fat, 9.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

Soak the fine bulgur in the cold water for 30 minutes until it swells and there is no free liquid left.
Add the rice flour, shell salt and turmeric and knead for 12 to 15 minutes, wetting your hands in cold water as you go, until you have a smooth pliable dough that can be pressed thin without cracking. Mosul kubba is famously large and famously thin; the rice flour is what lets the shell stretch that far.
For the filling, heat the oil over medium heat and fry the onions 10 minutes until golden. Add the lamb and cook 8 minutes until it is dry and browned, then stir in the almonds, raisins, baharat, filling salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes more. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Divide the shell dough into 6. Between two sheets of oiled plastic, press each piece out into a disc about 18 cm across and 3 mm thick.
Spread a sixth of the filling over half the disc, fold the other half over and press the edge closed, then flatten the whole thing gently back to an even disc about 15 cm across. Repeat.
Bring the poaching water to a bare simmer — bubbles rising but the surface barely broken. A hard boil tears the shells.
Slide the kubba in two at a time and poach 12 to 15 minutes, until they float and the shell has gone from opaque to faintly translucent. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
Serve warm, cut into wedges, with pickles and a bowl of yoghurt. They can also be shallow-fried afterwards for a crisp edge.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Rocoto Relleno — Peruvian
Kare-Kare (Oxtail Peanut Stew) — Filipino
Gungjung Tteokbokki (Royal Court Rice Cakes in Soy) — Korean
Weeknight Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowls — Korean
Country Captain Chicken with Curry and Almonds — Southern

Keep reading: what sweetness, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.