Prepare the filling: Finely chop the onions and sauté them in hot oil until they turn light pink. Add the ground beef, stir, then add salt and spices. Cook, stirring, until the meat is done. Add the barberries and pine nuts or walnuts, stir briefly, then transfer the mixture to a plate to cool.

Soak the bulgur in hot water. In a blender, combine the onion, mint, and well-washed basil, and blend. Once the bulgur has cooled slightly, knead it well until it becomes soft and cohesive. Add the baking soda and knead again; this helps soften the bulgur further. Add the meat, salt, spices, and the blended onion, basil, and mint mixture. Knead thoroughly until the mixture is uniform. When you form a ball of the meat and bulgur mixture in your hand and press it, it should not crack and should be neither too hard nor too soft.

To shape the kibbeh, take a ball about the size of a tennis ball or slightly smaller. Use your index finger to make a hole in the center, then use your other hand to shape and thin the sides by rotating it clockwise until you have a thin shell. Fill with about 2 tablespoons of the filling, then pinch the edges together to seal. Roll gently with a slightly wet hand to smooth and shape the kibbeh.

Place the kibbeh patties on a tray in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer them to storage bags.