Kafta stew

November 10, 2013  •  Category:

 Today, thousands of people from 104 countries took part in the Beirut Marathon, a fantastic and uplifting event. 

In preparing this dish, there are shortcuts; getting frozen meatballs, for one; or making them in advance; ditto for the potatoes. The rice and vermicelli pilaf is a traditional stew side dish but can be simply bread instead. The diced potatoes are fried  adding  a notable dimension of flavor to the stew (and of course, calories)


INGREDIENTS: 6 to 8 servings

  • 1 lb. prepared kafta (can substitute Italian frozen meatballs)
  • 1 lb. potatoes (yellow Yukon gold or a waxy variety preferably)
  • 2 lb. tomatoes or replace with a large can of tomatoes plus a small can of tomato paste (1/4 cup diluted in one cup of water)
  • 2 large onions, chopped 
  • 1/4 cup oil+2 cups oil to fry the potatoes
  • salt, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • chopped parsley to garnish
  • Rice pilaf with vermicelli as a side dish or bread

kafta balls:potato and kafta balls stew

fry potato cubes:potato and kafta stew

 

1. Pan-fry the onions in a little oil till soft and golden; add the tomatoes, diced, tomato paste and water; add the spices and simmer gently for 30minutes. Shape the kafta into meatballs and brown them (or substitute Italian meatballs) and set them aside. Peel and dice the potatoes and fry them in a separate skillet till golden; drain them and set them aside. 

2. Add the browned meatballs and potatoes to the stew pot and let it bubble up gently for another 20 minutes; garnish with chopped parsley and serve with rice or bread. 

NOTE: To make kafta, place ground beef (or a combo of beef and lamb, which is more moist and tastier and fattier) in the bowl of a food processor; add salt, 1/2 tsp each of pepper, paprika and allspice; add one cup of chopped onion and 1/2 cup of chopped parsley; mix till pasty.

Comments

13 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Reply

    Oui, Chef says:

    I bet frying the potatoes makes all the difference…..brilliant!

    On November 10, 2013 at 1:11 pm

  2. Reply

    Hisham Assaad says:

    This is my favorite stew.
    It’s the same as Daoud Bacha, right?

    On November 10, 2013 at 2:56 pm

  3. Reply

    Belinda @zomppa says:

    This is a totally filling dish – can see this being a total crowd pleaser.

    On November 10, 2013 at 3:28 pm

  4. Reply

    Margaret says:

    Looks hearty and delicious. A little different flavor than my usual stew.

    On November 10, 2013 at 7:37 pm

  5. Reply

    Hélène (Cannes) says:

    J’adore ! C’est coloré, épicé … Superbe … et à faire très vite ! ;o)
    Bisous
    Hélène

    On November 11, 2013 at 12:59 am

  6. Reply

    Rosa says:

    Mouthwatering and comforting! A wonderful stew.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    On November 11, 2013 at 2:07 am

  7. Reply

    Miriam | Miriams Ear says:

    Hi Joumana,

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    On November 11, 2013 at 4:51 am

  8. Reply

    Susan says:

    A delicious and comforting dish, Joumana.

    Thanks again for your support and kind comments recently 🙂

    On November 11, 2013 at 3:58 pm

  9. Reply

    domi says:

    Voilà des boulettes en bonne compagnie gourmande….

    On November 12, 2013 at 10:15 pm

  10. Reply

    Gabi says:

    It’s definitely a bad idea to read this post when you are hungry and at least 2 hours away from a decent bunch of calories. Anyway, I don’t think it will change that much when my stomach is more satisfied. It just looks and reads great.

    On November 13, 2013 at 1:07 pm

  11. Reply

    Joelle says:

    We did this few days ago it was delicious. Thank you Joumana, I keep coming back for more!

    On November 19, 2013 at 4:03 am

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