The Classic Beef Kafta Kabob Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is kofta seasoning made of? ›

🧄 The Kofta spices

Lamb Koftas are considered a Middle Eastern dish and there are many variations out there. Most recipes call for a blend of cumin, coriander and cinnamon, to give that iconic Kofta flavour.

I wanted to make more Middle Eastern cuisine; this time I was going to make kofta. Kofta is a type of kebab with ground meat instead of chunks. The direct translation of shish kebab is “shish,” which means sword, and “kebab,” which means meat. So meat cooked on a sword.

Choose the Best Beef Cut for Kabobs

Relatively tender, without a need for extensive marinating, Sirloin (from top to tip) is lean and fits into a balanced diet — plus, it's budget-friendly . Other good beef choices for kabobs are Flat Iron or Strip Steak and even Tenderloin.

We call it Kafta in Lebanon and it's also widely known as Kofta in other Middle Eastern countries. It's basically a meatball using either beef, chicken or lamb, mixed with herbs, Middle Eastern spices and onions. All you really need is 4 ingredients: ground beef, onions, parsley and a spice blend similar to all spice.

Kofta can be served as meatballs or it can be formed onto skewers as kebabs and cooked over an open flame. Traditional kebabs are usually made with cubed meat. Kofta kebabs, on the other hand, are made with ground meat.

Flatten the meat, spreading it along the skewer until it covers all but the tips. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Once you have finished all your skewers, place the skewers back in the refrigerator until ready to cook. This will help them set and stop them falling off the skewers.

Add skewers (I could fit all in, placing them in alternating directions) and cook for 8 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Meanwhile, slice tomatoes and red onion. Serve kebabs with pita bread, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and yoghurt sauce on the side. Wedges of lemon are also a great accompaniment.

Hummus, feta, tzatziki , pickled red onions, couscous or tabouleh are all great serving suggestions for koftas. Fresh herbs and salad ingredients, like rocket and tomatoes, balance out the other rich flavours.

Kofta is a type of "meatball" that originates from the Middle East and India. The word kofta comes from the Persian word kūfta, which means "to beat or to grind," which references the ground meat typically used to make kofta recipes.

Using a cut of meat without too much connective tissue will definitely help. Talk to your butcher about good options. Stew meat isn't the best choice; it contains a lot of connective tissue which breaks down during the long, slow stewing process. Grilling is too hot and quick to break down that tissue.

How do you grill kabobs without burning vegetables? ›

Putting meat and veggies on the same skewer is an amateur move. Since they cook dissimilarly, the veggies will burn before the meat is cooked, especially if you're cooking chicken. So, skewer them separately, veggies on one skewer, meat on another.

"Sirloin steaks are a great budget-friendly option chock-full of flavor," said Jerome, who also suggests cutting sirloin steaks into smaller pieces for another budget-stretching, grill preparation: kabobs. "Top sirloin steaks are a great option to have something lean but also tender and flavorful for your beef kabobs."

Kofta is a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes found in Balkan, Middle Eastern, North African, South Caucasian, South Asian and Central Asian cuisines.

What is Kofta (Köfte)? Köfte is the Turkish variant of meatballs made from minced meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, onions and a variety of spices. Of course, each establishment and even each family has their own take, but the main ingredients usually don't differ greatly.

In Persian, 'kuftan' means to beat or grind, or simply a meatball. If you order koobideh at an Iranian place, it''s more or less similar to kofta,except the spicing is more heavy on sumac and turmeric, but it's the same idea: minced meat mixed with spices and thrown onto a skewer.

The combination of smoked paprika, ground peanuts, garlic powder, ginger powder, onion powder, peppercorns, coriander seeds, nutmeg, grains of Selim, and cayenne pepper make up this rich smoky and fragrant spice blend.

In a master-level malai kofta dish, you'll find dumplings that are crunchy and crispy on the outside yet creamy and velvety on the inside. After the delicious fried dumplings are dunked in a sweet and lightly spiced curry, they ascend to heavenly status.

Sumac comes from the Arabic “summaq,” which means “dark red.” It is a crimson red, astringent spice popular in Middle Eastern cooking. It's made from the berry fruit of the Rhus Coriaria shrub, which were originally grown in parts of the Mediterranean basin, then spread to Europe.