The word “kofta” comes from the Persian word for “mashed”. The main ingredient is ground or minced beef, lamb, chicken and even fish. Kofta in its various forms is a dish that travelled across the Mediterranean Ocean and is found in its various forms all over North Africa including Algeria. The country’s cuisine can trace its to numerous countries and cultures that visited, ruled or traded with Algeria. Algerian food is a combination of various influences such as Berber, Arabic, French, Jewish and more. Practically every cuisine in the world claims honours for the lofty meatball. A popular dish on our menu, this recipe is made from minced beef.
Recipe by: GOLD Restaurant
Serves: 14 (starter or party snack)
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes (deep frying)
Ingredients
T = tablespoon
t = teaspoon
- 500g beef mince
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 5ml (1 t) green masala
- 2ml (½ t) ground cumin
- 2ml (½ t) ground coriander
- 5ml (1 t) salt
- 2ml (½ t) turmeric
- 30ml (2 T) fresh coriander, chopped
- 200ml (1 cup) vegetable oil, for deep frying
Method
- In a large mixing bowl thoroughly combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly with your hands. Using your hands scoop and shape the mixture into 28, 18g balls.
- On a high heat, fry in hot oil in a saucepan until well browned and cooked through – turn them often to make sure they brown evenly.
- They should cook through in three to five minutes.
- Drain briefly on a paper towel.
- Thread two per wooden skewer and serve warm.
Tips
- Fill your saucepan with one third of the mixture at a time – be sure not to overcrowd when frying.
- Instead of shaping the mixture into meatballs with your hands, you can also use a release-style scoop. 3.Meatballs can be pre-prepped, cooled and refrigerated.
