Kofta refers to meatballs made from minced meat and cooked rice. They are often spiced with pepper, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon before being simmered in a rich tomato sauce. Kofta can be found in cuisines of South Africa and the Middle East. Unlike Mediterranean meatballs, which are served with pasta, kofta is usually served with a side of kisra flatbread. This dish, and others like it, were introduced to America by immigrants.
Recipe Servings: 8
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1½ lbs minced meat
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup grated yellow onion
- ½ cup cooked rice
- Canola oil, as needed for frying
Sauce:
Directions
- Combine the meat, pepper, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, salt, onion, and rice in a large bowl.
- Mix thoroughly using your hands and shape the mixture into oval meatballs the size of golf balls.
- Heat ½-inch of the oil in a cast iron skillet until it is shimmering.
- Add the meatballs and cook until they are browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium high heat.
- Add the onions and cook until they are golden-brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and cook until the mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, garlic paste, and green pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the fried meatballs, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Serve the meatballs in a bowl with the sauce.
For Meatballs:
For Sauce:
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