levantine · lunch
Beef kofta and rice
A weeknight Levantine pleasure: hand-kneaded ground-beef fingers seasoned with cardamom and thyme, seared hard in ghee, then basmati rice cooked in the same pan to absorb every drop of the caramelised juices. A complete meal in one skillet.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- intermediate
Steps
- 01
Knead the meat
8 minPlace ground beef in a wide bowl, add ground cardamom, dried thyme and salt. Knead with both hands eight minutes until the mixture turns pale and tacky; this gives the kofta its bind.
- 02
Shape the fingers
10 minWet your hands. Take eighty grams of mixture, roll into a ten-centimetre cylinder thickness of two centimetres. Repeat for ten kofta. Rest in fridge ten minutes so they hold shape during searing.
- 03
Sear in ghee
10 minHeat two tablespoons of ghee in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Sear the kofta four minutes per side without moving so the crust forms. Lift onto a warm plate, do not clean the pan.
- 04
Toast the rice
4 minAdd the remaining ghee to the same pan over medium heat. Add rinsed dry rice and a pinch of dried thyme, stir three minutes until each grain glistens and gives off a gentle savoury fragrance.
- 05
Cook the rice
20 minPour 640 millilitres of hot water and a pinch of salt, scrape the caramelised meat juices into the rice. Cover, lowest heat, cook eighteen minutes. Rest off heat four.
- 06
Reunite and serve
3 minPlace the kofta on top of the rice for the last three minutes covered to warm through. Serve straight from the pan. A thin slice of pickled lemon on the side brightens the plate.
Other recipes from the same family
Lamb skewers in ghee
Levantine charcoal-grill staple from Beirut to Damascus: shoulder-cut lamb cubes brushed with clarified butter, threaded on flat skewers, grilled hard and fast so the outside chars while the inside stays pink and juicy.
37 min · 4 servings
Grilled kafta skewers
Levantine charcoal-grill staple: hand-mixed ground beef with cardamom and thyme, shaped onto flat metal skewers and grilled hard over high heat. The crust seals in the juices through fast cooking.
32 min · 4 servings
Baked kibbeh
Levantine pride, here adapted with freekeh in place of bulgur: a fine ground-beef-and-grain shell baked in a wide tray, filled with cardamom-and-thyme spiced beef. Sliced into diamonds for sharing.
85 min · 6 servings
This article relays the public teachings of Dr. Diaa Al-Awadi for educational and informative purposes. It is not medical advice. Consult your physician before any dietary change. Legal notice.