Potato Kibbeh (Kibbet Batata)

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.

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

Start by washing, peeling, and boiling the potatoes. Then mash the potatoes while they're still a bit hot. In a large bowl, add the washed fine bulgur and top it with the potatoes.

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Add the dried mint, spices, fresh herbs, and green onion (if using) to the bowl.

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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 in hot pita bread and wrap it up.
• Substitute the dried mint for fresh 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

Lebanese Mezze Recipes

Delicious Kibbeh Recipes

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