First, for the dough: Soak the bulgur in just enough hot water to cover it for 30 minutes, so it absorbs the water and you won’t need to squeeze it. Add the remaining dough ingredients and knead well by hand (no food processor needed, but you can use one if you prefer).

Next, for the filling: In a pot, melt some butter and add the ground beef. Sauté, then add the onion and spices. Add 2 tablespoons of water, then stir in the breadcrumbs, raisins, and parsley. Mix everything together and set aside.

Finally: 1) For the traditional method, take a portion of the dough, fill it with the meat mixture like stuffed falafel, shape into balls as shown in the picture, and either fry or bake them. 2) For the pan method, grease a baking dish, spread half the dough on the bottom, add the filling, then cover with the remaining dough. Use a fork to make a decorative pattern on top, then bake until fully cooked.

Note: 1) Adding nuts and raisins is optional. 2) You can add 1/2 pound (about 250 grams) of lean beef chunks or raw ground beef to the dough and the rest of the ingredients, but in that case, you’ll need to process everything together in a food processor. I didn’t add meat to the dough here because I prefer it lighter this way.

I served it with fattoush salad, spiced rice with tomato juice, and hibiscus juice from my recipes. Enjoy! 🙂