Kefta

(Middle Eastern spiced meatballs)

Spiced meatballs are common in one form or another from Morocco in the west through the Middle East (kefta or kufta), to Greece (keftedes), Turkey (köfte), Armenia (kyufta), Iran (kufteh, or koofteh) and all the way to India (kofta) in the east. All names for these little balls of wonder derive from the Persian verb kuftan, which means "to grind."

Image by tvol

4 to 6 servings, or about 20 meatballs

Ingredients

Ground lamb or beef, or a mixture of the two -- 2 pounds
Onion, minced -- 1
Fresh parsley or mint, finely chopped -- 1/2 bunch
Ground cumin -- 1 tablespoon
Cinnamon -- 2 teaspoons
Allspice (optional) -- 1 teaspoon
Salt and pepper -- to season
Oil -- 1/4 cup

Method

Place the ground beef or lamb, onion, herbs, spices, salt and pepper in a large bowl and knead together well. Wrap in plastic and chill for 1-2 hours to allow the flavors to mingle and make the meat easier to handle.
Form the meat mixture into balls, patties or ovals the size of a small egg.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium flame and, working in batches, sauté the meatballs until browned on all sides and cooked through. Browned meatballs can also be finished in a 350ºF oven.
Serve as is or in pita bread as a sandwich with tzatziki sauce.

Variations

Keftedes (Greece): add some breadcrumbs and a little red wine to the meat mixture.
Köfte (Turkey): add some breadcrumbs and form the meat into a sausage shape on skewers. Oil the meat well and grill over hot coals.
Before frying, you can roll the kefta in some flour and shake off the extra to help them brown.
Experiment with different seasonings--coriander, cayenne, sesame seeds.