Kefta refers to ground meat. You can make these Moroccan meatballs from ground beef, ground lamb, ground turkey or a combination of meats. The meat is well-seasoned with Moroccan spices and herbs before being shaped into balls and sauteed in butter.
You can serve the meatballs Moroccan style and use Moroccan bread for scooping up the kefta and sauce, but I like to arrange the meatballs around a large mound of Homemade Mashed Potatoes and eat with a fork. Green Bean Saute and garlic toast round out the meal.
Serves four.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. (about 1/2 kg) ground beef, lamb or turkey
- 2 tablespoons very finely chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper or cayenne pepper
- --------- For the Sauce ---------
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and/or cilantro
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or more to taste
- 2 or 3 saffron threads, crumbled (optional)
Preparation:
Mix the ground meat with the onion, parsley, cilantro and spices. Knead the mixture well, and if time allows set the meat aside to allow the flavors to blend for a half hour (or longer in the fridge).
Shape the kefta into small meatballs. These can be as tiny as marbles, but I usually make mine about 3/4 inch in diameter.
Melt the butter in a large saute pan or frying pan over medium heat and add the meatballs. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meatballs are browned on all sides.
Add the lemon juice, parsley and saffron to the pan. Continue cooking the meatballs for a few minutes longer while the sauce reduces to the the consistency of melted butter. Serve immediately.
