December 21, 2021

Kofta

Kofta – Egyptian meatballs

Kofta are like delicious Egyptian meatballs which have been seasoned perfectly to bring out the wonderful flavours of the meat.

They’re great for large gatherings

Kofta is an absolute favourite with kids as well as adults.

With its popularity it’s great for big family gatherings because it’s guaranteed that just about everyone will love it ( except our vegetarian friends obviously).

It can be made in advance which is a real bonus when you’re hosting, because anything that takes the pressure off is such a blessing in my opinion. It will be ready to pop in the oven just about three quarters of an hour before everyone is ready to eat. And it’ll stay warm ready to serve.

Rice and a mixed salad are ideal accompaniments for kofta especially with a drizzle of garlicky tahini dressing. If you add in warm pita bread there is the option of splitting the pita bread and making a pita bread pocket stuffed with kofta and salad which is easily as good as any take-away and also great for outdoor eating .

Kofta is a real crowd pleaser

The recipe I use now, is one that I have adapted and that I have found to to be a real crowd pleaser. It has loads of flavour but it’s not spicy. Those seeking a hit of chilli, can drizzle hot chilli sauce over, after it’s cooked.

This particular recipe has a few breadcrumbs in it. This helps to retain the juices from the meat which has a lot of the flavour and also keeps the kofta lovely and moist. It does mean that it needs to be cooked in the oven though as it tends to break up if you try cooking it on skewers.

I have a solution for you

If you find it disappointing that you can’t barbeque these kofta and you think that you’ll miss that wonderful smoky flavour, don’t worry I have a solution for that.

You have the option of smoking them once they’re cooked. Don’t worry you don’t need any fancy equipment or ingredients and it is so simple, you’ll be amazed.

This recipe makes enough for about 8 people

Ingredients

1 kilo minced beef
3 slices of bread – slightly dry is best
a little oil for frying
2 onions finely chopped – optional
5 cloves of garlic grated or 3 tsp of garlic puree
1 egg
2 stock cubes – grated
2 tbsp of korma paste (I like to use Pataks)
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
a handful of fresh coriander finely chopped – optional

If you want a smoky barbeque flavour you’ll need this

a little oil
a piece of charcoal the size of a bean
aluminium foil

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C

Here’s how to make your kofta

First put your minced beef into a large bowl & break it up so that when the other ingredients are added it will mix easily.

Blitz your bread

First put the bread in a food processor and blitz it to form breadcrumbs – alternatively you can grate them. Add this to the minced beef in the bowl.

Now let’s fry up those onions

If you are using onions, drizzle oil into a large frying pan and put it over a high flame to heat up. Add the chopped onions and fry them until they become translucent. Put these into the blender with the egg and blitz them for about 20 seconds. Then add these to the breadcrumbs and meat in the bowl.

Mix all your ingredients together

Now, add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Mix everything together well – this can be done with a large spoon, but I find that nothing beats working everything together with your hands. Keep mixing until the ingredients are all fully blended.

Let’s start shaping up those kofta

Once everything is very well mixed, it’s time to start forming the kofta.

To make this easy to explain first follow these instructions open your left hand out palm up, then lay the index finger and middle finger of your right hand across your left hand and close your fingers around them – this is about the size your koftas will be.

Squeeze and twist to form the kofta

So, scoop up a spoonful of the mix about the size of a large walnut and lay it across your upper palm – i.e., where the fingers of you right hand were laid. Next close your fingers around it as though you are holding a handle and squeeze the mix and twist it slightly and squeeze and twist to form the kofta. Repeat this process until all the mix is used up.

Lay the kofta out tidily

To bake your kofta in the oven. Lay them in tidy rows on 2 large baking trays.

Bake the kofta in the pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes

Put the baking trays into the preheated oven and cook for about 25 minutes. The kofta is cooked when it is browned on the outside. Break one in half to check it is cooked on the inside – it should be brown, and the juices run clear. If the meat on the inside still looks red, cook for a little longer with aluminium foil over the top of it so that it doesn’t dry out.

If you crave a good smoky barbeque flavour, here’s how – Magic time

Now to add the magic. First pile all your kofta onto one baking tray.

Make your cup

Shape some tin foil into a small egg cup shape – double thickness.

Sit the cup in the baking tray

Make a space in the centre of the tray and sit the tin foil cup in it.

Light the coal

Set the charcoal alight by holding it over the gas flame for a few minutes. When the coal begins to glow blow out the flame.

Let’s get smoking

Drizzle a little oil into the tin foil cup that you have just made and then put the charcoal in the oil.

Quickly cover the baking tray with kitchen foil and close it tightly to stop the smoke from escaping and smoking out your kitchen. Allow it to smoke for 5 minutes.

Keep it nice and warm

Keep the baking tray in a warm place, putting it back in the warm oven for a few minutes, is a good option.

Keep your kofta warm until you are ready to serve

Cover the kofta with aluminium foil until you are ready to serve them – this will keep them warm and stop them from drying out.

What to serve with kofta

As I said, kofta are incredibly popular and they are perfect accompanied by rice, a mixed salad and a drizzle of tahini dressing. You could also serve warm pitta bread, humus. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves if you choose. A few olives or marinated chargrilled red peppers are really good to serve as a side dish with your kofta if you wanted a little extra.

I do hope you enjoy making kofta using this recipe.