Skip to main content

Keema

A popular way of serving kibbeh nayyeh, which makes it more of a grand dish, is with this ground-meat sauce. Veal is popularly used.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 pound onions, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound lean ground veal
1/2 cup pine nuts
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Fry the onions in the oil over low heat until golden. Add the ground veal and fry, crushing the meat with a fork and turning it over, until it changes color. Add the pine nuts. Season to taste with salt (about 1 teaspoon) and pepper, and add a little water to moisten. Simmer gently until the meat is well cooked and soft and the liquid is reduced. Some people prefer to fry the pine nuts lightly on their own and add them just before serving.

    Step 2

    Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve in a separate bowl with the kibbeh nayyeh.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
Read More
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
Like crispy gnocchi caprese and raspberry—brown butter skillet cake.
A flurry of fresh tarragon makes this speedy weeknight dish of seared cod and luscious, sun-colored pan sauce feel restaurant worthy.
The secret to flavorful, never-greasy eggplant parm? Brine the eggplant first.
Like hot honey chicken with peaches and a dirty martini spritz.
No grill needed for this just-charred-enough sweet and spicy chicken.
Fontina and fried shallots make this diner-style omelet perfectly acceptable dinner fare.