Riced to the Occasion
Beef and Rice Kofta Simmered in Tomato, Preserved Lemon, and Herbs
1 hour 20 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerMiddle Eastern
Herb's take
We're jetting to North Africa for a tagine classic, with a twist. You'll master the art of binding rice and beef into kofta, then slow-simmering them in a lemony, spiced tomato bath worthy of bazaar bragging rights.
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, uncooked rice, grated onion, half the minced garlic, egg, 1/4 cup parsley, all cilantro, 1 tablespoon preserved lemon, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix gently by hand until just combined.
- 02With wet hands, shape mixture into 16 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches each. Set aside on a plate.
- 03Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown kofta in batches, turning to color most sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer browned kofta to a plate.
- 04Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot. Add remaining garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 05Stir in crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, remaining cumin, coriander, cinnamon, smoked paprika, cayenne, bay leaf, remaining 1 tablespoon preserved lemon, 1 teaspoon sugar, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- 06Nestle all kofta back into sauce in a single layer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, gently stirring halfway through so nothing sticks.
- 07Uncover, increase heat to medium, and cook 10 more minutes to reduce sauce until thick and rich. Discard bay leaf.
- 08Sprinkle with remaining parsley, and serve kofta and sauce straight from the pot with warm flatbread or over more rice if you like.
Want your own batch?
I don't run a recipe search engine—I invent dishes from what you tell me. Toss me some ingredients on the home page.