Kibbeh Lakteen

Kibbeh Lakteen — pumpkin kibbeh — is one of Lebanon's most uniquely traditional dishes, and one of the very few kibbeh varieties made without any meat. The outer shell is a blend of fine bulgur wheat and roasted, mashed pumpkin: deep orange, lightly sweet, with a texture that sits somewhere between regular kibbeh and falafel. Inside, the filling is caramelised onions and toasted walnuts, fragrant with cinnamon and allspice.

It's baked in the classic bil saniyeh style: one layer of pumpkin-bulgur shell on the bottom of the 30 cm tray, the walnut-and-onion filling spread across the middle, then a top layer sealed over it, scored into the traditional diamond pattern, brushed generously with olive oil, and baked until golden and slightly crisp at the edges.

Kibbeh Lakteen is a Lenten dish in Lebanon — traditionally made when meat is avoided — but its flavour is so distinctive that it deserves to be eaten year-round. It is completely vegan, deeply satisfying, and unlike anything else on the menu. One 30 cm tray serves 3–4 people.