Go Back
–+ servings
kofta with tahini sauce in a pan with a spoon scooping some out
Print

Kofta Tahini

Delicious kofta patties baked in a tahini sauce that's garlicky and tangy and packed with flavor!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Diet Gluten Free, Halal
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 457kcal
Author Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

For the kofta:

  • 1 lb ground beef, lean 500g
  • 1 lb ground lamb 500g
  • 1 small onion, grated or pulsed ina. food processor into small pieces
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • big handful parsley, chopped
  • 3 teaspoon seven spice or all spice powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1.5-2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch red chili flakes, optional

For the tahini sauce:

  • 1 yogurt container 170g, 2/3cup
  • 3 tablespoon tahini
  • 1 lemon, juice of
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon seven spices

Instructions

For the kofta:

  • Add all the ingredients to a large bowl, and mix well until combined. You can use gloved hands or a spoon to mix. I prefer using hands!
  • Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Drizzle a baking dish ranging from 11x7 inches to 9x13 inches in size with a little olive oil.
  • Form the kofta patties into oblong patties, about 14-16 total, and place on the oiled baking dish. If you have leftover kofta mix, form into patties and freeze it it'll come in handy in the future! Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until kafta is browned and cooked through. Remove from the oven but keep the oven on.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the tahini sauce the then pour this sauce around the kofta patties in the baking dish. Return to the oven, and bake for another 20 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.
  • Enjoy, garnished with chopped parsley and served alongside vermicelli rice, recipe for the rice in the notes.

Video

Notes

For the vermicelli rice recipe, click here:
Storing leftovers: Leftovers last 3-4 days tightly covered in the fridge. To reheat either place in a hot 350°F oven (175°C) for 10–15 minutes, or heat for a few minutes in a hot pan. If the tahini sauce has thickened too much, add a splash of water.
You don't need to use all the kofta mix, you can freeze the leftover meat (raw or cooked) and use it in recipes like: tomato vermicelli soup, kofta with tomato sauce, air fryer kofta kababs, or this delicious cherry kabab dish.  Don't freeze the tahini sauce, it'll separate.
Ingredient Substitutions:  You can use all ground beef for the kafta if desired.  You can also add some pan fried potato slices to the dish before baking to bulk this up.
Recipe tips:
    • Don't overmix the kofta- it can make the meat tough. Once the ingredients come together, you are good to go.
    • Use slightly wet hands to shape the kofta patties of you feel like the meat is getting too sticky.
    • Taste the tahini sauce, if you want to add more tahini or lemon juice feel free to do so. If you feel the flavor is too strong, add a little more yogurt or water.
    • Make sure your onion is grated as opposed to coarsely chopped, because you want it to melt into the meat mixture and not stand out in big chunks.

Nutrition

Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 876mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg