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Title: Koobe Chamusta (Friday Lunch Dumplings in Sou
Categories: Jewish Kurdistan Israel Soup Beef
Yield: 5 Servings
| SOUP | ||
| 1 | lg | (1/2 lb) leek |
| 2 | tb | Corn oil |
| 1 | c | Celery, fine-chopped |
| 1 | md | (1 cup) onion, chopped |
| 5 | Cloves garlic, chopped fine | |
| 6 | c | To 7 cups water |
| 1/4 | ts | Salt |
| 1 | tb | Lemon juice |
| FILLING | ||
| 2 | tb | Corn oil |
| 1/4 | lb | Boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-in cubes |
| 1/2 | c | Celery, fine-chopped |
| 3 | Cloves garlic, chopped fine | |
| DOUGH | ||
| 3 | c | Jareesha, med-fine bulghur |
| 2 | c | Cream of wheat or farina |
| 1 | c | Water |
| 1 | ts | Salt |
This dish is prepared & served on Friday lunch before the Sabbath. On Friday evening dinner, beginning of Sabbath, there is generally another menu that often includes another dumpling & soup preparation.
Koobe are finest of Kurdistan dishes & there are several of them. They are an indispensable selection for family dinners. The Chamusta-style koobe is cooked in a richly endowed soup of celery, leek, garlic, & lemon juice, with meat broth. The koobe itself is always solid, dense, & filling. The shell of koobe is a complete wheat product of bulghur & farina, supermarket breakfast food called cream of wheat, which is a fine-ground semolina.
1. Cut leek lengthwise into halves; trim off root end & about 3 inches of green leaves. Separate all of leaves, & soak them in cold water for 10 minutes, rinsing them carefully to remove the soil that has accumulated. Drain. Cut leaves & stems into 4-inch pieces. Set aside.
2. Heat in oil in a large pan, add leek, celery, onion, & garlic & stir-fry over moderate heat for 3 minutes. Add water & bring to a boil, then add salt & lemon juice. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
3. To make filling, heat oil in a skillet & stir-fry the over moderate heat until it starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Cool. Coarsely chopped in a processor, adding celery & garlic at the last moment to mix together.
4. Mix jareesha & cream of wheat/farina together. Add water & salt, & well into a moist but firm dough that can be easily handled.
5. Take abt 1/3 cup dumpling (koobe) dough & roll it in a ball w/ palms of wet hands. Push a deep depression into ball w/thumb & add 1 heaping ts filling. Close the hole &, pressing firmly, flatten ball out into a disc 3-inches in diameter -- a little higher in center & thinner at edges. Prepare all dumplings this way & set aside. Makes about 10 koobe.
6. Drop koobe into simmering soup one at a time & cook over moderate heat for 20 minutes. Add 1 cup of water if too much liquid has evaporated. There should be enough of this green, lemon-flavored soup to serve 5 persons, with 2 koobe for each. Serve warm. Serves 5 or even 6.
Recipe: "Sephardic Cooking" by Copeland Mark -- 600 Recipes Created in Exotic Sephardic Kitchens from Morocco to India -- Copyright 1992 Published by Donald I. Fine, Inc., New York, N.Y. D. Pileggi
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