Potato and Rice Kibbeh

(vegan, gluten-free)

I give my wife full credit for creating this recipe, or at least combining multiple recipes into a new better whole. Growing up, my wife was introduced to kibbeh, a Syrian/Lebanese dish made from lamb and cracked wheat, by the Syrian community in Terre Haute, Indiana, where they served it faithfully every year at an Eastern Orthodox festival. For years, I experimented with vegetarian versions of this dish to varying levels of success.

This year, for Pesach, we were desperate for a main course that was NOT another version of nut loaf. Since we were following Sephardic Pesadic kashrut, she scoured the Internet for a new recipe, cobbled together various ideas, and presented me with the challenge of making it work.

It works. It really, really works. It does not pretend to be standard kibbeh or a kibbeh redux, but it is a savory, hearty, vegan-possible dish than can be eaten any time of the year.

INGREDIENTS

• Base
  • 2 cups dry basmati rice
  • 2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • Melted ghee, butter, or vegan butter

• Stuffing
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 pound vegan garden taco meat or commercial vegan meat crumbles (cooked to package directions)
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • wet or dry bouillon concentrate, enough to make 2 cups
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons raisins

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook rice with adequate water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a pot. In separate pot, cook potatoes with adequate water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Drain both and mash together. Cover mixture and set aside to cool.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet, add onions, and cook until tender and slightly browned. Add vegan meat crumbles, curry powder, bouillon, pine seeds, and raisins, and stir until well combined.
4. Grease 9″x13″ pan with ghee. Wed hands, and press half of potato-rice puree evenly over bottom of pan. Spread filling evenly over bottom layer. Cover filling with remaining puree, and smooth well. Score in triangles, squares, or parallelograms with a knife. Loosen edges from tray with a spatula. Brush ghee generously over top.
5. Bake at 350°F until bottom is golden brown (approximately 25 minutes), then place under broiler until top is golden brown.