Egyptian Grilled Kofta

About This Recipe

Egyptian kofta is one of the great pleasures of the Nile — ground beef and lamb seasoned with onion, parsley, and a blend of warm spices, formed around flat skewers and grilled over glowing charcoal until beautifully charred outside and juicy within. Served with baladi bread, tahini, and a chopped salad, it's a feast both simple and magnificent.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gground beef (80% lean)
• 200 gground lamb
• 1 mediumonion, grated
• 1/4 cupfresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tspcumin
• 1 tspcoriander
• 1/2 tspcinnamon
• 1/4 tspallspice
• 1/2 tspcayenne pepper
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the kofta

   Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands for 2–3 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky and cohesive.

2. 2

   Form on skewers

   Divide into 12 portions. Wet your hands. Press each portion around a flat metal skewer, forming a long, thin sausage shape.

3. 3

   Chill

   Refrigerate the skewers for 30 minutes so the kofta holds its shape during grilling.

4. 4

   Grill

   Grill over high heat (or hot grill pan) for 3–4 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve immediately with baladi bread, tahini sauce, chopped tomato and onion salad, and pickles.

Variations

• •

  Add pine nuts to the mixture

• •

  Make without skewers as patties

• •

  Serve in pita with pickled vegetables

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Refrigerate raw kofta up to 2 days. Cooked kofta keeps 3 days.

Frequently Asked Questions