Kebab Halabi
For the Kabab:18 ounces (500 grams) ground beef
1/8 cup (20 grams) raw almonds, roughly chopped
1/4 cup finely diced onion (about half of a small onion)
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 tablespoon Seven-spice mix (see note)
1 teaspoon olive oil
For the Sauce:
3 large tomatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 teaspoons sumac
One large bell pepper, cut into rings
Prepare the kebab: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the beef, almonds, onion, salt and seven-spice mix. Use your hands to massage the ingredients together until mixed, but not overworked.
Lightly oil a 9" by 13" tray or Pyrex dish. Take a small handful of beef and roll into a 2-1/2 to 3-inch cylinder. Repeat until you have 15 little kebabs; set aside.
Prepare the sauce: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Set up an ice bath next to the stove. Score an X into the bottom of the tomatoes and drop in the boiling water. Cook 30 to 60 seconds, or until the skin starts to wrinkle and peel back, then remove to the ice bath. Once cool, peel off the skins and dice the tomatoes.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and salt and allow them to cook down 5 minutes. Stir in the sumac and set aside.
Place the kebabs in prepared dish and bake 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the sauce over the kebabs. Arrange the bell pepper slices on top. Return to the oven for 7 to 10 more minutes, or until the kebabs are cooked through.
Serve warm. Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Note: Seven-spice mix, available in Middle Eastern grocery shops, is a combination of spices commonly used in Arabic cooking. Although the proportions vary by country, and even by household, the basic ingredients remain the same: ground black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, cumin and coriander. Some cooks add paprika, ginger or white pepper. Syrians substitute ground allspice seeds for the similarly flavored cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
From: New York Times: Recipes From the Syrian Kitchen
