02 / Kofte
Kofta
Pronounce itKof-tahlike “coffee,” then tah
Hand-rolled lamb meatballs simmered in a tomato-onion sauce until the fat blooms on the surface.
The meatballs are mixed by hand — ground lamb, grated onion, garlic, coriander — then browned and dropped into a sauce of tomatoes cooked down with more onion. They stay soft in the center. The sauce should be deep, a little sharp, and glossy enough to need rice. Kofta is weekday food and banquet food at once; it travels well in a tray and is meant to be eaten with chalaw, not instead of it.
Ingredients
- Ground lamb
- Yellow onionin the mix and in the sauce
- Garlic
- Tomatoescooked down
- Coriander, turmeric, black pepper
- Fresh cilantro
- Oil, salt