Ingredients for Boulette Beef and Herb Kofta
For the Kofta:
- 2 onion medium sized
- 8.8 oz (250 grams) chicken breast ground
- 1.65 lbs (750 grams) ground beef chuck
- 4-5 tablespoons vegetable oil or any other neutral oil
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- ½ bunch cilantro just leaves
- ½ bunch parsley just leaves
- 1 Potato cut into large cubes
- 3 egg
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon thyme dry
- 1 teaspoon rosemary dry, or 2 teaspoons herb de provence
- 3 heaping tablespoons breadcrumbs
For the Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil neutral
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1.32 lbs (600 grams) crushed tomatoes Italian
- ½ cup water or beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 4-5 allspice whole
- ¼ teaspoon zhug or pilpelchuma or harissa
Instructions
Prepare the kofta mixture:
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1. Cut 1/2 onion into small cubes and fry in 4 tablespoons of oil on a medium-low flame, stirring occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes until brown. Cool and set aside.
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2. Grind garlic in a food processor into tiny pieces. Add herbs and grind to a puree. Add the remaining 1/2 of the onion and potato and grind to a coarse mash. Add eggs and spices and process to combine.
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3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add chicken and beef. Mix until uniform. Add bread crumbs and the fried onion with the frying oil and mix well. Cover the bowl and let stand for 30 minutes (in the summer put it in the fridge).
Meantime, prepare the sauce:
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4. Heat oil in a wide pot and fry garlic for about a minute, stirring until fragrant.
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5. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the zhug, and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes over low heat. Add zhug, mix, taste and adjust seasoning. Keep the sauce hot (on a gentle simmer) until the kofta come out of the oven.
Bake the kofta and add to sauce:
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6. While the sauce is cooking, heat the oven to 420F degrees (220C) and moisten an oven pan with a little water (just put the pan under the tap and tilt it to get rid of excess water).
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7. Take about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture, form oblong meatballs with wet hands and place them in the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 5-7 minutes until the kofta look cooked on the outside.
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8. Transfer the kofta to the sauce, cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes over a low flame. 10 minutes before it's done, uncover and let the sauce reduce. The dish can be kept up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
This recipe is courtesy of “HaShulchan” website.