Potato Kafta
May 1, 2011 • Category: Main Dish
This potato kafta is a delicious twist on the usual kafta: The potatoes are boiled then mixed with the meat and flavored with a garlicky cilantro pesto.
The kaftas are shaped like burgers and can be pan-fried, grilled or baked with a slice of onion and tomato on top.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound of lean (95%) ground beef (sirloin is what I used)
- 1/4 cup of cilantro pesto
- 1 pound of baking potatoes
- Olive oil, as needed
- 2 Large onions
- 2 Large tomatoes
- Spices for kafta: One teaspoon of allspice, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, black pepper, sumac (or use 1/2 Tablespoon of kafta spice mix)
METHOD:
- Boil the potatoes until done; meanwhile, peel 6 garlic cloves, chop in little pieces and mash in a mortar with a dash of salt. When the garlic is pasty, stop. Wash and dry half a bunch of cilantro leaves (about 1/2 cup packed) and mince as fine as possible. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet and place the garlic and cilantro on the oil, stirring with a wooden spoon to get the mixture to combine; after 30 seconds remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Place the boiled potatoes (peeled) in a large bowl; add the meat, spices and cilantro pesto. Mix to combine well (it is helpful to wear disposable gloves here). Shape the potato kafta into burgers and either pan-fry or grill. If pan-frying, heat a little oil and sprinkle flour on the kafta patties. Another option is to grease a pan, line up the patties and top with a slice of onion and a slice of tomato; salt a bit and bake in a preheated oven at 350F until the patties are done and the meat is cooked. Serve warm.
Source for the recipe: Chef Ramzi’s The Culinary Heritage of Lebanon.
Comments
38 Comments • Comments Feed
Belinda @zomppa says:
That pesto – something to dream about!! What a perfect complement.
On May 1, 2011 at 10:04 pm
Anita says:
Those look so delicious. I’ve never added potatoes to kafta, I bet it’s just scrumptious! Great idea.
On May 1, 2011 at 10:05 pm
5 Star Foodie says:
The addition of potatoes is terrific and nice flavors with the garlicky cilantro pesto too!
On May 1, 2011 at 10:27 pm
domi says:
Bonjour Joumana, quelles délicieuses ” croquettes ” bien parfumées et si moelleuses….qu’on en mangerait, bisous et bon lundi
On May 2, 2011 at 12:20 am
Rosa says:
Delicious! I love kafta. That version is interesting.
Cheers,
Rosa
On May 2, 2011 at 1:48 am
Banana Wonder says:
yum! i never had kafta like this before. looks delish! love me some meat balls. congrats to your winners too.
On May 2, 2011 at 2:24 am
sab says:
j’en veux moi de ton truc
On May 2, 2011 at 2:54 am
Priya says:
Very tempting kafta,feel like having some;.
On May 2, 2011 at 2:55 am
Ivy says:
The potato croquettes sound delicious. I usually make them without the addition of meat.
On May 2, 2011 at 6:40 am
Peter says:
Potato croquettes can also be made with leftover potatoes and they make for a wonderful meze.!
On May 2, 2011 at 7:10 am
Faith says:
What a fun take on kafta! Love the flavorful pesto in there!
On May 2, 2011 at 9:52 am
Miss Anthropist says:
This looks incredible! I must try this recipe soon…thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
On May 2, 2011 at 10:18 am
Susan says:
A wonderfully simple but flavorful patty! I’ve never made a minced meat patty with potato in it but I love the idea.
On May 2, 2011 at 10:26 am
samir says:
these must be fabulous..have never tried this version of kafta..where in lebanon does chef ramzi say this dish originates from and its regional name?
On May 2, 2011 at 3:47 pm
Joumana says:
@Samir: He says it is from Aley and since I only have the English version of the book here, the only title to it is potato kafta (which sounds appropriate! 🙂
On May 2, 2011 at 4:15 pm
Caffettiera says:
They must be incredibly soft, with so many potatoes, and incredibly tasty because of spices and meat.
On May 2, 2011 at 5:48 pm
sheila @ Elements says:
Looks and sounds fantastic! My husband said his mother used to make something like this but doesn’t remember what she called it. Anyway, we’ll definitely give this a try! I can’t wait! 🙂
On May 2, 2011 at 7:19 pm
Gail Alfar says:
I’m so excited that I got picked to win the ma’amoul cookie mold, my kids are going to love helping make the cookies! I tried to email you but I kept getting back this: “Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently : joumana@tasteofbeirut.com” Do you gave another email? Or you can email me at alfar.gail@gmail.com, and I’ll provide my address.
On May 2, 2011 at 8:34 pm
kankana says:
I make something similar but I call it tikki 🙂 I never add pesto and I like the idea of adding pesto !!
On May 2, 2011 at 8:57 pm
Lori says:
Loved your recipe on You Tube for baklava. So simple. Such an excellent idea- thank you.
On May 2, 2011 at 8:58 pm
Bria @ WestofPersia says:
These remind me in a lot of ways of Persian kotlets (cutlets). Love the spices used here.
On May 2, 2011 at 10:10 pm
T.W Barritt says:
I particularly like the warm spices added to the meat mixture.
On May 2, 2011 at 10:39 pm
Cherine says:
What an original idea! I love the addition of the potatoes!!
I must try this soon 🙂
On May 3, 2011 at 2:04 am
Christine's Recipes says:
The garlicky cilantro pesto sounds yummy, turns the potato into something very different.
On May 3, 2011 at 3:27 am
Chiara says:
How awesome! I like the idea of having potatoes mixed inside a “burger” like patty!!!
On May 3, 2011 at 6:52 am
Maria @ Scandifoodie says:
Next time I’m thinking of making meatballs for my partner, I’ll try this recipe instead – he would love it!
On May 3, 2011 at 2:03 pm
RADIA says:
j’adore cette recette, elle me tente vraiment , je vais là tester, bravo joumana
On May 3, 2011 at 5:13 pm
lisaiscooking says:
The cilantro pesto sounds great in these! Love the crispiness too.
On May 3, 2011 at 5:51 pm
sweetlife says:
love this version of kafta and cilantro pesto is always delish!!
sweetlife
On May 3, 2011 at 6:01 pm
Steve @ HPD says:
I love potato kafta. but once i wasn’t paying attention and i made potato kafka. turned into a bug before i was done, and i was never able to finish it. :^)
On May 3, 2011 at 6:38 pm
Joumana says:
@Steve: You are too funny! 🙂
On May 3, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Magic of Spice says:
Lovely version of kafta, this would be great for our family night dinners and BBQ’s…
On May 5, 2011 at 11:55 am
samir says:
This has been on my to make list a long time as i had never heard of it..and today was the day..a nice twist as u say on kafta..the meat stays very flavorful and tender from the addition of the mashed potato, I used 85/15 organic ground beef which was excellent but perhaps too fatty for this dish as the potato provides so much moisture no need for the fat(i realize u specified sirloin), I pan fried half a batch and then baked the second round. and I had some trouble having the patties hold together so i remixed even more before baking the second batch which helped…overall very nice
On July 28, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Joumana says:
@Samir: Your observations are very valuable, thank you!
On July 28, 2012 at 2:09 pm
samir says:
ps : ) i used 3 or 4 reg size cloves of garlic which was plenty for me.
On July 28, 2012 at 2:30 pm
samir says:
your welcome..but thanks to you for your truly inspiring, educational and beautiful blog! I try to read it everyday and there are so many more dishes I want to make that you have posted on , but I always end up making the classics as I try to really perfect those..as far as this dish , hmm, not bad, but not sure i will make it again..it seems the original is so , for lack of better words , just right and classic!
On July 28, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Joumana says:
@Samir: Thanks to you for the praise, first of all; also for your comments and observations which are always so pertinent!!!:)
On July 29, 2012 at 2:18 am
samir says:
pss (as always i feel a need to expand on my thought after i post one!)…when i say classic kafta. i mean in all its forms.grilled..pan fried or baked ,,and its variations.. ie with tahineh , or tomatoe /potatoe
On July 28, 2012 at 10:17 pm