Kufta
كفتة
Kufta, or kufta b'siniyeh, is a regular in our household. I make this for dinner at least once a month. Such a comforting dish that reminds me of my childhood. I always make this for a quick weeknight dinner, or for parties. You can double or triple the recipe for dinner parties.
Kufta is cooked differently in every Middle Eastern household. Its a versatile recipe, you can add whatever vegetables you want to the dish. My version of kufta is very similar to meatloaf. I spread the meat in a baking dish and top it with vegetables. It bakes in a little over an hour.
In the meat mixture, I combine lean ground beef, onion, garlic, parsley, mint and tahini. I spread the meat in a baking dish and top it with sliced Roma tomatoes and potatoes. For a more traditional Middle Eastern flavor, you can substitute the ground beef for ground lamb.
Kufta is very, very filling! It's a meaty dish and I prefer to serve it with a refreshing salad on the side. Make this for dinner and serve it with a cucumber and yogurt salad, or fatoush, and some pita bread.
Kufta
كفتة
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound extra lean ground beef (I prefer to use beef, but feel free to substitute with lamb for a truly Middle Eastern flavor)
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch of curley parsley, chopped
1/2 bunch of mint, chopped
1.5 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp Tahini
2 small potatoes, sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Directions:
1) Preheat your oven to 380*F.
2) In a bowl, combine the meat, onion, garlic, parsley, mint, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and tahini. Mix well.
3) In a 9"x9" baking dish, spread the meat out evenly.
4) Layer the potatoes over the meat, then top with the tomatoes.
5) Sprinkle salt and pepper and drizzle oil on top.
6) Bake, covered, in your preheated oven for 1 hour.
7) After the 1 hour mark, uncover and drain excess fat from pan.
8) Return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, uncovered.