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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

"How to Make Kofta" by Melanie B


Kofta can be made with a variety of meats, but the most popular for my family is beef and
what I will be instructing you on how to make today. It is also popular in Middle Eastern to make
the delicious dish with pork or lamb. Kofta is sentimental to me because growing up it was the
dish that brought my entire family together on my mom's side. Certain holidays like the Eid
alFitr which marks the end of the month of Ramadan, come along and my family would have
really big feast to celebrate. Along with seeing my family after a long period of separation eating
good food my my favorite part. I would like to share the easy to make Kofta “secret recipe” my
mom provided me with, to other families so hopefully they can experience the same tradition as I
do.

Materials:
● Large mixing bowl
● Sharp knife
● Large serving dish (after cooking)
● Cutting board
● Foil (to place on meat after it is done cooking)
● Grill
● Tonges
● Salt
● Pepper
● One Pound Ground beef
● One Onion
● 3 tablespoons Wheat bulgur
● ⅓ Bunch Parsley
● Measuring set
*This amount of materials will make 2030
Kofta rolls (depending on how thick they are rolled)

Step1: Once beef is thawed unwrap beef from package and measure out one pound. Place ground
beef into large mixing bowl. Depending on how many guests to feed the amount of ground beef
can vary.
Step2: Chop one onion finely and place into large mixing bowl. Up to your discretion whether or
not to place the entire onion into the bowl. For best results cut a medium sized white onion.
Depending on how many guests to feed the amount of onion can vary.
Step3: Cut ⅓ bunch of parsley up and place into large mixing bowl. Purchase fresh parsley for
best results. Depending on how many guests to feed amount of ground parsley can vary.
Step4: Place 3 tablespoons of wheat bulgur into large mixing bowl. Wheat bulgur is hard to find
at a normal grocery store. The best place to shop for it is at a local Sprouts or Arabic store.
Depending on how many guests to feed the amount of wheat bulgur can vary.
Step5: Add salt and pepper into large mixing bowl. Place amount of salt and pepper at ones own
discretion. Preferably until the gut intuition says to stop.
Step6: Mix all together and form 23
inches hot dog shaped rolls. Thickness of rolls are totally
up to the cook, however keep in mind the thicker they are the longer they take to cook on the
grill. Different shapes can be formed! This amount of materials will make 2030
Kofta rolls (if
rolls are shaped to fit in the palm of a hand).
Step7: Place uncooked rolls onto large serving dish.
Step8: Wash hands and prepare the grill.
Step9: Carefully place Kofta rolls onto the grill. Cooking time will vary with thickness of the
Kofta rolls.
Step10: Place cooked Kofta rolls onto large serving dish with foil over and let cool for 5 minutes.
Step11: For even better results serve with a side of warm pita bread and hummus.

Hope you enjoy!

18 comments:

Kevin Montenegro said...

Wow, I looked up what a Kofta was and it looked really yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe, I'll make some for myself at home. The parsley and onion sound really good with the beef, and I think it's funny that we just add salt and pepper until our gut tells us to stop.

Unknown said...

Amazing job! I appreciate you sharing your secret recipe with us. I loved how you gave us a little background on what a Kofta is and why it's significant to you and your family. Your step by step instructions were easy to understand and like a professional cook, you provided us with a materials list in the very beginning. I also appreciate the fact you are concerned with being sanitary, since I am not fond of germs. I liked when you mentioned the gut intuition because it gave me a laugh. Overall, great recipe and it sounds like a delicious dish!

Unknown said...

Delicious! Reading this recipe made my mouth water. I liked how you gave a little back story to the dish, it gave me some insight on the Muslim culture. Also i liked how descriptive you were in your piece, it was probably the reason why i became hungry after reading it. And i didn't know that you are Middle Eastern, that's tight.

Unknown said...

Honestly, I enjoyed reading the intro more than the recipe itself. It is so sweet that you shared something that brings your family together after such long periods of separation. You also gave us a little taste of your culture and how much something as simple as kofta can make an impact in one person's childhood. As for the recipe, you used so much detail and gave the best instructions for cooking for example telling the audience that fresh parsley works the best. Kofta overall sounds delicious.

Jonathan Chi said...

Wow thank you for sharing this recipe with us! I chose this one to write about because I wasn't sure what kofta was but I am a huge food enthusiast and love to learn about foods in unfamiliar cultures to me. I think everyone can relate when I say that all of us have our own cultural recipes and foods on different holidays and it was very interesting to learn about the significance of your dish. Thank you for sharing your background on the dish and why it was sentimental to you.

Unknown said...

I love learning and definitely eating different types of cultural foods since it allows me to see how diverse our current society actually is! The fact that this isn't just a simple recipe and contains an actual meaning to why it is made really attracts me towards the history of this unique food. I will definitely be doing some research on this Kofta! You did a great job in the step by step process of explaining and i cannot wait to make this for my family sometime soon!

Tyra Robles said...

WOW! Sounds like an amazing dish and I can't wait to try it out. I like how you gave us a background on the dish and gave us more that just a recipe. It makes me want to try it even more because it means so much to you and others.

Tyra Robles said...

WOW! Sounds like an amazing dish and I can't wait to try it out. I like how you gave us a background on the dish and gave us more that just a recipe. It makes me want to try it even more because it means so much to you and others.

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness! This made me sooooo hungry. I really enjoyed how you introduced this recipe by explaining where it comes from. Not only was able to learn how to make Kofta, I was able to learn more about you and where you come from. I was very impressed because your steps were so simple, but I could easily picture what I was making and what it would look like. Awesome job!

Claiborne Beitz said...

This recipe seems simple and easy for beginning cooks to recreate! The dish sounds very delicious I hope one day I'll be able to recreate it! If i had one criticism it would be to just double check your grammar, but other than that great recipe, thank you for sharing!

Unknown said...

This dish sounded so appetizing and I'd love to try it out some day. Coming from a family with middle eastern origins as well, I understand how delicious the food is! Your description on how to make kofta was extremely authentic and it sounded as if making the dish was something of natural instinct to you. I took note on how you repeatedly wrote "depending on how many guests", and it was a constant reminder of your acknowledgement of others. Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe with me Mel!

Unknown said...

Kofta is one of my favorite dishes. I've celebrated Eid many times with my best friend and his family who are from Pakistan. They make is slightly different but it was cool to know how other cultures put their variations on dishes. I appreciate the fact that you mentioned what your connection to the dish was. It was a good introduction. The instructions are concise and comprehensive which made them easy to understand. I will definitely be trying to make this recipe in the near future.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

I loved how you shared a family recipe for others to enjoy, thank you for that! It was really interesting learning about the sentimental part of this dish and how it brings your family together. The instructions of the recipe were very clear, easy to follow, and well-written. I hope I can try this recipe soon because it sounds delicious!

Brianna K.

Unknown said...

This is one of my favorite Middle Eastern dishes. Being Lebanese, it's very easy for me to identify with you and how certain traditional foods can bring families together. The intro to this recipe definitely played a large part because it allowed us, the audience, to peek into your life. Kafta brings many happy memories back to mind! It was very detailed and I'm sure quite easy to follow for anyone who would want to try and recreate it.

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing your recipe with us, I didn't know what Kofta was before but now I really wanna try it. Its interesting how you tied this food recipe into your personal life and not just chose a random food recipe to do.

Haley Jensen said...

Your intro to the recipe was really heart warming, and when mentioned how the recipe was sentimental to you and your family it made he happy. Overall the steps were very well descriptive and if i were to attemt to make it I would know exactly what to do, thank you!

Anonymous said...

Reading your title I had no idea what kofta was or what culture it was from, which intrigued me because I wanted to know more about it. Your introduction was informative and personal making me excited to learn how to make this dish. Your steps are clear and precise, this made everything easy to understand. I may just try out your family's recipe!
-Madyson Hidalgo