[caption id="attachment_1820" align="alignnone" width="900"] Moon-shaped kebbeh served with a bowl of soup[/caption] Moon-shaped almond kebbeh is a specialty from Latakia - Syria (Lazkye).  It is usually served with a home-made spicy sauce as an appetizer or even a main dish. Total serving: 35 pieces Preparation time: 1 hour Ingredients: Dough ½ kg of burgul ½ kg of grounded kebbeh beef meat 2 tbsp. of kebbeh spices 1 tsp of salt Stuffing ½ kg of soft meat, finely minced ½ kg of onions, finely chopped 200 g of raw almonds 4 tbsp. of vegetable oil ½ tsp of salt 1 tsp of 7 spices Spicy sauce 1 tbsp. of hot chili paste (debes flayfle harra) 1 tsp of all-purpose flour 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil Preparation method Dough 

1. Clean the burgul under running cold water then soak in water for 10 minutes
2. Drain the burgul and leave aside to dry
3. In a food processor, grind the burgul with ½ kg of the kebbeh meat, the kebbeh spices and 1 tsp of salt until you get a dough-like consistency

[caption id="attachment_1821" align="alignnone" width="900"] Making thin disks of kebbeh dough[/caption] Spicy sauce In a small bowl, mix the hot chili paste (or tabasco) with the flour and olive oil Filling

1. Fry the chopped onions in 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil until golden
2. Add the minced meat, ½ tsp of salt and 1 tsp of 7 spices and stir until the meat is well cooked
3. In a separate pan, fry the almonds in vegetable oil until golden
4. Strain the almonds from extra oil and add them to the filling

Make the kebbeh:

1. Shape the kebbeh into balls, the size of a golf ball. Moisturize your hands with cold water as you work with the kebbeh to avoid sticking to the hand
2. Knead each ball to obtain a thin disk shape dough (you can use a plate to press the ball
3. Fill each disk with two teaspoons of the filling, and then close the dough forming a moon shape. Press the tips to avoid opening of the kebbeh while baking
4. Grease a baking tray with vegetable oil and place the moon-shaped kebbeh. Brush each moon with the spicy sauce
5. Bake the kebbeh in the oven for 15 min on 180 degrees
6. Serve hot with cold yogurt on the side or a fresh salad

[caption id="attachment_1822" align="alignnone" width="900"] Placing the kebbeh in a baking pan[/caption]