Kafta and Potato Stew

4.98 from 167 votes

This traditional Lebanese kafta and potato stew is a hearty meal that the whole family will love! Seasoned patties/meatballs are cooked in a rich tomato sauce for a healthy and delicious meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Lebanese

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 471kcal

Author Yumna Jawad

Equipment

Ingredients

To make the kafta patties

½ cup parsley chopped and loosely packed
1 onion quartered
2 pounds ground beef 80-85% lean
1 tablespoon 7 Spice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon coriander
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

To make the stew

3 tablespoons olive oil divided
6-8 Yukon Gold potatoes sliced
1 onion sliced
2 tomatoes sliced
½ green pepper sliced
2 15 ounce cans tomato sauce

Instructions

To Make the Kafta

Place the parsley in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, remove and set aside. In the same food processor bowl, place the quartered onion and pulse until finely chopped.
Return the parsley back to the bowl of the food processor with the onions. Add the ground beef to the food processor in addition to all the spices. Pulse once or twice until ingredients are well combined and form a pasty meat mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and form into patties 1 inch in thickness. It will make about 12 patties.

To Assemble and Cook the Stew

In a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the sliced potatoes and saute them lightly to brown the edges, about 3-4 minutes total. You may have to work in batches. Set potatoes aside.
Add 1 more tablespoon olive oil to the skillet, place half the kafta patties and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until they’re lightly browned but not fully cooked. You will need to to work in batches.
Transfer the cooked potatoes on top. Add the onions, tomatoes and green peppers on top. Pour the tomato sauce along with 2 cups water and carefully stir everything together. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer covered for 30 minutes.
Serve warm over vermicelli rice, if desired.

Notes

Storage: If you do have any leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for three days.

Freezing Instructions: You can also freeze the kafta stew for up to 3 months. Freeze individual portions or the entire dish in a baking dish. Thaw in the fridge overnight and re-heat at 350°F for 10 minutes until warmed through.

You can also freeze the kafta patties alone before or after cooking them.

To freeze them prior to cooking, lay them on a flat baking dish in the freezer for at least 4 hours. When frozen, place them in an airtight bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight and cook per instructions.
To freeze them after cooking, simply store them in an airtight bag after they've cooled. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through.

Sourcing: You can find the 7 Spice at Middle Eastern markets, natural-foods stores or even in large supermarkets, often located with other Middle Eastern ingredients or spices.

To make your own 7 Spice, mix together 1 tablespoon each of ground black pepper, paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon.

Nutrition