Potato kibbeh, or kibbet batata, is the vegan alternative to the popular Lebanese meat kibbeh nayeh and it tastes just as good. Fresh, fragrant, and delicious, potato kibbeh is made with mashed potatoes, fine bulgar wheat, spices, herbs, and olive oil. It's the perfect Lebanese mezze appetizer dish to serve with tabouli, fattoush, and pita chips.
There are so many ways to make kibbeh: baked stuffed kibbeh, fried kibbeh balls, kibbeh labanieh, kibbeh bil sanieh, quinoa kibbeh (gluten-free option), and of course the famous raw kibbeh nayeh.
What I Love About This Recipe
One word: simplicity. I've always been someone who believes the best recipes are those that don't need a long list of ingredients to make and this one proves my point. Filled with flavor that comes from all the fresh herbs and drizzled with olive oil, it's just perfect.
Ingredient Notes
- Potatoes: Any kind of white or golden potatoes work for this recipe.
- Fine Bulgur: Fine bulgar gives this potato kibbeh the kibbeh-like texture. Make sure you use fine bulgur which is different from coarse bulgar wheat. It's easy to get fine bulgar and coarse bulgar mixed up if you're unfamiliar with this kind of grain.
- Fresh parsley: Finely chopped fresh parsley is the ingredient I love most in this recipe. Try to remove the stems of the parsley sprigs prior to chopping the leaves finely.
- Dried mint: Fresh mint is an alternative to dried mint. Just remove the leaves and chop the mint very finely.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is an essential ingredient, so make sure you select the highest quality olive oil.
- Mixed spices: Seven spice, allspice, and a hint of black pepper
- Green onion (optional)
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.
How To Make Potato Kibbeh
Soften the fine bulgur wheat by rinsing it and draining it. It's different from coarse bulgur wheat, so it should soften quickly (about 5 to 10 minutes).
Wash, peel, and boil the potatoes. Then mash the potatoes while they're still a bit hot. In a large bowl, add the mashed potatoes to the washed fine bulgur.
Chop the green onion and add it to the bowl.
Add the dried mint, ground allspice, Lebanese seven spices, salt, black pepper, and fresh herbs.
Next, knead everything together. Add in drizzles of olive oil as you knead.
To serve, spoon the mixture into a large serving plate and use a spatula to spread it out. Drizzle with some more olive oil and serve.
Tips and Tricks
- Use olive oil in the potato mixture: Even though not all potato kibbeh recipes call for olive oil to be kneaded into the mixture it makes such a great difference in the texture and taste.
- Mash the potatoes while they're a bit hot: This helps to stop lumps from forming as you mash.
- Use the freshest ingredients: Don't substitute the herbs, make sure your potatoes are fresh. This makes a huge difference when it comes to the taste of this dish.
Variations and Substitutions
- Fried potato kibbeh: My grandma always steals some of the potato mixture, forms it into mini patties, and fries them until they're crunchy and golden.
- Potato kibbeh sandwich: Spread the mixture on hot pita bread and wrap it up.
- Substitute the dried mint for freshly chopped mint leaves.
Equipment
- Potato peeler or knife to peel the skin off of the potatoes
- Stovetop pot to boil the potatoes
- Potato masher or handheld mixer to mash the potatoes
- Large mixing bowl to combine and knead all of the ingredients
- Spatula or wooden mixing spoon to mix the ingredients
Storage
Store the potato kibbeh in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. This dish doesn't freeze well and must always be served fresh.
FAQs
Yes! I sometimes oven bake or fry kibbeh potato patties and they taste divine. Serving it cold is more popular in Lebanon but there are people who like to enjoy it cooked.
Hot pita bread alongside crunchy vegetables is always the answer but potato kibbeh is so versatile and can be served with so many other Lebanese mezze dishes. These include tabbouleh, fattoush, baba ghannoush , and hummus.
Lebanese Mezze Recipes
Delicious Kibbeh Recipes
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📋 Recipe
Potato Kibbeh (Kibbet Batata)
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 medium potatoes about 2 lbs or 1 kg
- 1 cup fine bulgar wheat about 170 gr or 6 ounces
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 1 to 2 sprigs green onion chopped
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon all spice
- 1 teaspoon Lebanese 7 spices
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and drain the bulgur.
- Wash, peel, boil, and mash the potatoes.
- Place the washed bulgur in a large mixing bowl, top it with the mashed potatoes.
- Next add in the chopped parsley, green onions, dried mint, spices, and salt.
- Knead everything together to allow the flavors to be evenly distributed. Add in drizzles of olive oil as you knead.
- Spoon the mixture into a large serving plate and use a spatula to spread it out.
- Drizzle with some more olive oil and serve.
Notes
- Serve cold.
Shumus
Just wondering if you soak the bulgur for this recipe?
Lily
Very good question! We recommend using fine bulgar, and rinsing it then draining it. Let it sit for about 15 minutes to soften. Fine bulgar should soften pretty easily. Soaking it is also a way to soften it, just make sure it’s drained well prior to using.
Layla
A delicious vegan kibbbeh recipe!
Lily
Thank you!