Kubba (كبة) is one of the most popular Iraqi street foods. It is a hearty, fried dish that is fragrant with spices and fried onions. The basic ingredients are simple and cheap; kubba is minced meat encased in bulgur.
The roots of this dish reach deep into the history of the Levant and Mesopotamia. The word kubba itself comes from an Arabic root meaning “ball” or “dome”, which accurately describes the most common shape of this dish. Historically, kubba emerged as a way to efficiently use meat. In times when meat was scarce, mixing a small amount of minced meat with cheap and filling bulgur (parboiled and crushed wheat) created a hearty meal. While in Lebanon or Syria a similar dish is called kibbeh, the Iraqi version has its specifics. Chefs in the city of Mosul invented the Kubba Mosul (كبة موصلية) variant, which abandoned the pointed ball shape and shaped the dough into a disc. The recipe is otherwise completely identical.
The basis of both variants is the dough, which must be firm but crisp after frying. In Iraq, a mixture of fine bulgur (jarish) and sometimes a little semolina or rice flour is often used. The minced meat is sautéed with a large amount of onions, which caramelize and sweeten during cooking. What makes Iraqi kubba Iraqi is the aromatic spice blend called baharat. Roasted pine nuts or almonds are often added for crunch, and dried raisins for a subtle sweet contrast.
For classic kubba, a piece of dough is shaped into a small ball in the palm, into which a hollow is made with the thumb. The walls must be thinned to a minimum without cracking. Then it is filled with the meat mixture and closed into the typical shape of a ball with two pointed ends. During frying in hot oil, this shape tightens beautifully and the tips become the crunchiest parts. Kubba Mosul is more demanding to prepare because it is shaped into a thin disc.
Classic pointed kubba is eaten with hands, Kubba Mosul is usually sliced into triangles like a pizza. One Kubba Mosul cost me 1,000 IQD (0.60 EUR) on the famous Iskan street (see Where to Eat in Erbil).
Bon appétit!
