What is kofta kebab?
Kofta kebab is a specialty in all countries of the Middle East, Levant and many Mediterranean countries. It is a skewer of meat, usually a mixture of beef and lamb but the composition may vary, depending on the region. The meat is minced and marinated with many spices.
It’s then worked with the hands to form a sausage, which is threaded onto a skewer and shaped tightly so that it stays put. The kofta kebab is then grilled on a griddle or barbecue, or cooked in the oven. These kebabs are usually eaten with pita bread, hummus and raw vegetables.
What is the origin of kofta kebab?
The kofta kebab originates from Arab countries and appears from the first works dealing with cooking, the first appearing around the 13th century but it is very likely that this specialty is much older.
This kebab traveled with Arabian conquests around the world. They are now found across Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, the Balkans, and even in China or India.
These delicious kebabs are enjoyed from Afghanistan to Greece via Morocco, Romania and Turkey.
The word, kofta, could come from the Persian “kufta” which means rissole. Or from “koofteh”, which means “pounded meat”. The name and its spelling vary from country to country.
How to make kofta kebab
Kofta kebab is simple to prepare but requires a bit of organization as the meat must marinate for a long time in order to perfectly absorb all the spicy flavors that enrich the taste of these delicious kebabs. You also need to know how to manage the cooking so that they are nicely browned on the outside and juicy on the inside.
The meat used is always a composition of different cuts and different sources, most often it is lamb and beef that are used.
For the beef, pieces such as the cheek, the scoter, the tenderloin or the sirloin are preferred. For lamb, on the other hand, the meat will be taken from the saddle or the tenderloin to obtain leaner meat.
The meat is chopped and seasoned with onion, garlic, parsley, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, nutmeg, paprika, mint, salt, pepper, chilli and sumac which brings a very characteristic taste to the kebabs.
Sumac is particularly appreciated in the Levant, its slightly lemony taste perfectly enhances meat dishes.
All the ingredients are worked by hand until the mixture is homogeneous. It must then rest for 6 hours in the refrigerator and must be worked several times during this resting period.
It is important to properly wrap the meat in contact with cling film to prevent oxidation and drying out in the refrigerator.
The mixture is then divided into balls of equal dimensions and these are slipped onto skewers, ideally made of metal, in order to obtain a better distribution of temperature during cooking.
They must then be shaped into tight sausages around the skewer. Once formed, these raw kebabs should rest again so that they are quite cold when cooking.
For successful cooking of kofta kebab, the grill must be very hot and the skewers very cold. It is the temperature difference that will create the Maillard reaction and give the meat a kind of crust while maintaining a juicy interior.
A hot cooking appliance also helps prevent the meat sticking during cooking, which is very quick, about five minutes on each side. When pressed, the kebab should be slightly flexible.
As soon as the kebabs are cooked, they are immediately served sprinkled with parsley, and accompanied by pita bread, raw vegetables and hummus.
What are the variations?
In some versions, the spice blend is replaced by zaatar, a thyme and sesame blend that’s very popular in Lebanon. Just replace most of the spices with the zaatar, keeping only the salt, pepper and chili.
The meat composition is variable and kebabs can be made with just beef, lamb, or veal and also chicken or even turkey. You can also replace lamb with mutton.
The meat mixture can also be enriched with bulgur, eggs or vegetables. You can also prepare fish kofta.
In the Balkans and Greece, kofta kebabs are made with pork.
Kofta Kebab
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground lean beef (cheek, scoter, tenderloin, sirloin)
- 1 lb ground lean lamb (tenderloin and / or saddle rib)
- 1 onion , grated
- 5 cloves garlic , finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons parsley , finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg , freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons mint , finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
To finish
- Parsley , finely chopped
Equipment
- Flat wooden or metal skewers
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into a large bowl, and knead well for 10 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours, kneading the mixture for 3 minutes every hour.
- Divide the meat into 12 equal portions and roll them up.
- Then form into 12 uniform sausage shapes.
- Skewer each, and shape tightly by squeezing the meat along the length of the skewer (leaving roughly 6” / 15 cm for a “handle”).
- Cover the skewers with cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours before grilling.
- Grill the koftas on the barbecue, in the oven or on a preheated griddle on all sides for about 5 minutes or until the desired doneness is achieved.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately, accompanied by pita, arayes bread, tahini sauce, hummus, raw salad, and / or baba ganoush.
Video
Notes
- It is possible to make this recipe with zaatar. To do this, add 1 teaspoon of zaatar per 1 lb / 500 g of meat and omit all other spices except salt, chilli and ground pepper.
- This recipe can be prepared with a mixture of beef and lamb, only beef / lamb, or even chicken.
Sources
Wikipedia – Kofte
Desi Blitz
Quora
Esther and Morgan are the two foodies behind Renards Gourmets. They are based in Paris where they develop four-handed recipes and culinary photos.
Maeve says
I really adore Kebab! I always order this every time we go out to restaurants serving this.