Kofta Meshweya Recipes

KOFTA KEBABS

Steps:

• Mash the garlic into a paste with the salt using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef's knife on your cutting board. Mix the garlic into the lamb along with the onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, ginger, and pepper in a mixing bowl until well blended. Form the mixture into 28 balls. Form each ball around the tip of a skewer, flattening into a 2 inch oval; repeat with the remaining skewers. Place the kebabs onto a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.
• Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning occasionally, until the lamb has cooked to your desired degree of doneness, about 6 minutes for medium.

KOFTA MESHWEYA

Steps:

• In a food processor, or by hand, finely chop the onions, and herbs.
• Add onions and herbs to the ground meat, season with salt and pepper, and mix together.
• If you are making meatballs, roll into little balls and fry in a little bit of oil, on high heat, until brown.
• Add to whatever sauce you like, continue cooking until meatballs are fully cooked.
• OR you can wrap the meat around skewers.
• Place the skewers on an oiled grill, or on a rack under the broiler.
• cook for about 8 minutes, turning over once or more, cooking until lightly browned.

KOFTA MISHMISHEYA (LAMB MEATBALLS IN APRICOT SAUCE)

Steps:

• In a large frying pan, fry the onion in oil until golden.
• With your hands, work the meat into a paste with the dried lime, cloves, allspice, 3/4 tsp salt, and pepper, and roll into walnut-sized balls.
• Add them to the pan and cook, turning them to brown all over.
• Stir in the tomato paste, add the drained apricots and the currants or raisins, and cover with water.
• Simmer about 25 minutes.
• Crush the apricots a bit with a fork, add lemon juice and sugar and a little salt and pepper, and simmer for another 20 minutes.
• Serve over rice.

YOGURTLU KEBAB - KOFTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND YOGURT

Steps:

• Put the tomatoes in a pan with the olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper and sugar and cook over a medium heat for about 15 minutes.
• Add the meatballs from recipe #451292, bring the sauce to a simmer, and cook the sauce and meatballs for another 15 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
• If you are using the toasted pita, then toast it under the broiler until brown and crisp. Break it into small pieces.
• In each individual bowl, put a quarter of the toasted pita pieces, tomato sauce and meatballs over it and top with a layer of the yogurt.
• Garnish with the pine nuts, and finely chopped parsley.

CHEF JOHN'S KOFTA KEBABS

Steps:

• Cut toasted bread slice into thin strips on a cutting board; cut strips across into a small dice.
• Place onion, parsley, and garlic on top of diced bread on the cutting board; chop until mixture resembles tabbouleh.
• Season beef and lamb with kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, paprika, cardamom, nutmeg, and cayenne. Add onion mixture and water. Mix and mash with your hands until well combined.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
• Remove meat from the refrigerator and roll ¼ of the mixture into a ball using wet hands. Pierce in the middle with a bamboo skewer. Shape meat into a uniform log, about 6 inches long and 2 inches wide.
• Meanwhile, preheat a charcoal grill until coals are very hot.
• Place kebabs on the hot grill until browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes or so. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a kebab should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Serve.