Recipe variation — beef and lamb, baked in two dishes. This beef-and-lamb kafta bake is cooked one tray at a time. See the earlier kafta, potato and tomato tray-bake version.
Beef and lamb kafta fingers, roasted potato rounds, onions and tomatoes baked together in a rich tomato sauce. This version makes two baking dishes.
Two baking dishes · Approximately 6–8 servings
Kafta
- 1 kg beef mince (18% fat)
- 500 g lamb mince (20% fat)
- 2 medium brown onions, finely grated and lightly squeezed
- 1½ packed cups finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 3 tsp Lebanese seven spice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2½ tsp fine salt
Vegetables
- 5–6 medium potatoes, sliced 7–10 mm thick
- 2–3 tomatoes, sliced
- 1 large onion, sliced into rings
- Olive oil and salt, for the potatoes and greasing the dishes
Tomato sauce
- 400 g passata
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 250 ml water or light beef stock
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ tsp Lebanese seven spice
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt, adjusted to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Method
- Combine the cold beef and lamb mince with grated onion, dry chopped parsley, seven spice, cinnamon, pepper and salt. Mix by hand for 2–3 minutes until cohesive and slightly sticky. Cover and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes before shaping.
- Shape into short, evenly sized kafta fingers. Lightly oil two deep ovenproof dishes and arrange the kafta in a single layer, approximately 1–2 cm apart. Refrigerate while preparing the potatoes.
- Toss potato rounds with a little olive oil and salt. Roast separately at 210°C fan-forced for 15–20 minutes until lightly golden but not fully cooked.
- Distribute the sliced onions and tomatoes over the raw kafta, then layer the partially roasted potatoes on top, overlapping slightly.
- Mix all sauce ingredients in a jug. Divide between the dishes according to their size, approximately 60% for the larger dish and 40% for the smaller. Pour around the edges and into gaps. Aim for liquid roughly halfway up the ingredients, leaving potato tops exposed; add a little more liquid only if needed.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake one tray at a time at 190°C fan-forced for 35 minutes. Uncover and check after another 10 minutes, allowing up to 15 minutes if needed. Keep the second raw tray refrigerated until ready to bake.
- Check that the potatoes are fork-tender and the thickest kafta reaches at least 71°C internally. Watch the browned potato edges and avoid unnecessary grilling. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Kitchen notes
Serve with Lebanese rice, bread or yoghurt. No eggs, breadcrumbs, flour or added oil are needed in the kafta mixture. The photographs show preparation and the dish in the oven, rather than a plated final serving.
From our kitchen
