| Khubeza patties | |
| Alternate Name: | Ktzitzot Khalmit |
| Country: | Israel |
| Region: | Jerusalem |
| Course: | Appetizer/Main Dish |
| Served: | Hot |
| Main Ingredient: | Mallow, bulgur/bread crumbs/pita, eggs, onion, olive oil |
Khubeza patties (Hebrew: קציצות חוביזה) are fried patties made of khubeza, a variety of a mallow (native to the Levant region) combined with bulgur, pita crumbs, eggs, spices, garlic and onions.
During the siege of Jerusalem, when convoys of food could not reach the city, residents of Jerusalem went out to the fields to pick khubeza, a wild green which is high in iron and vitamins.[1] The Jerusalem radio station Kol Hamagen broadcast instructions for cooking it. The broadcast, picked up in Jordan, convinced the Arabs that the Jews were dying of starvation and that victory was at hand.[2]
Jew's mallow (molokhia) leaves can be used instead of khubeza.[3]