Beef Kofta is a sensational mixture of exotic spices and herbs that showcase ground beef into a taste explosion!
Beef Kofta is a new favorite recipe for me. I first tasted Beef Kofta a couple of years ago while I was staying with a close friend. She used to order those delivered meal kits and made it for us one evening. I was excited as I ate it. The explosion of flavors from all the different herbs and spices sent my taste buds into a dance. I looked over the recipe and realized that I most likely had all the ingredients to make it myself. I have a spice collection of approximately 70 different spices, and I continue to keep looking for more. Of course, the meal kit recipe had a spice packet with all the herbs already measured and combined. So off to the internet to do some research to find out exactly what spices and herbs and the quantities of each I needed to create this taste sensation.
The Beef Kofta dish reminded me of my first experience tasting an Exotic meal. It was over 30 years ago at a Moroccan restaurant in Calgary. The establishment had a genuine décor. Tables were lower to the floor and beautiful pillows were placed around each table. At first, I was appalled at the idea of sitting on the floor to eat, but I found it a great new life experience. The food was brought out and placed on a turntable. Flat bread was served with it, and I found out quickly that this was going to be my cutlery. Oh, the flavors I tasted that evening are still fresh in my mind. At the time I wasn’t very knowledgeable about spices from around the world. The meal inspired me to start experimenting with other seasonings and spices from other world cuisines in my cooking.
Middle Eastern cuisine is vast and comes from many cultures. Arab, Armenian, Assyrian, Azerbaijani, Cypriot, Egyptian, Georgian, Iranian, Iraqi, Israeli/Jewish, Kurdish, Lebanese, Palestinian, Turkish and Northern African cuisines. All these regions cook with similar ingredients and spices. Many recipes are the same with small changes such as shape, accompaniments and spice combinations. The spices are grown in many of these regions and contribute to wonderful exotic flavors. Example of these spices are: cinnamon, cumin, mint, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, sumac, aleppo pepper. Many of these spices are combined to create spice blends such as Za’atar and Baharat.
Kofta is a popular dish in many of the cultures I mentioned and can be found in numerous places such as: Afghanistan, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Greece, India, Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey. Many of these countries call it different names such as: kefta, kifta, kafta, koobideh. The ingredients are basically the same, but the shape varies from region to region. Some are made with lamb, or beef and even a combination of both. Some are pressed onto a skewer and grilled, while others are shaped like little logs or meatballs and even flat patties. The version that I had with my friend was a Kofta bowl. The meat was just in ground crumbled form and placed over rice and accented with hummus. It was delicious. I decided to make this recipe into logs. You are encouraged to try out any shape you want when making this recipe. No matter what form it is in, the taste will still be terrific.
This recipe has a lot of seasonings and each one is essential to ensure the perfect seasoned taste of the finished dish.
There are 9 dried powder spices in this recipe, and then other aromatic ingredients such as onion and fresh parsley and mint. Here is a list of all the dry spices.
I place them all on a plate so that I don't miss or duplicate a spice.
Now that you have all of your dry seasonings measured. Chop onion and fresh herbs. Place ground beef into bowl then add dry seasoning and fresh chopped ingredients and egg.
This dish is very versatile. You can shape them onto a skewer, or make meatballs or even serve it as a ground meat form. I shape mine like little flat logs. You can decide your own preference.
I chose to brown my logs first before placing them in the oven. I wanted a crisp texture on the exterior of my logs. You can shape them and bake them through in an oven only. I haven't tried this method yet but I will the next time I make this dish.
Once I brown the logs in a frying pan I place them on a cooking sheet and place them in the oven.
I bake them on a temperature of 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. You don't want to over cook them and make them dry. Cover lightly and let them rest for a few minutes. These can be served hot or room temperature.
Beef Kofta is served with sides and dips and flatbreads. The combinations are endless. I chose to serve mine with a flat bread and hummus and a lemon yogurt sauce. Slice of lemon on the side to add that little extra zest. My family and friends love this dish every time I make it. Prepare it and I promise, you will really enjoy it,
Servings 4
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Kofta can be prepared with other meats. Variations could be lamb, chicken and beef and lamb combined.
Thank you for visiting Meat and More Recipes. It gives me great joy to share my version of recipes with you and your family and friends. Feel free to adjust or add any ingredients you like to make it more enjoyable for your tastes.