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This Comforting Meatball and Potato Stew (Kafta), or Kafta bil Sanieh, is rich, delicious and oh so hearty! Filled with perfectly seasoned Kafta meatballs, potatoes, onions, mixed peppers, and tomatoes, your whole family will be asking for more!
It’s amazing how such an easy to make dish can bring so much joy, and make you feel like home. The juiciness of the meat harmonizes well with the tenderness of the veggies, and together with vermicelli rice, they make the perfect dinner to warm your heart.
The Warmest Kafta and Potato Stew
Kafta bl Sanieh is a Middle Eastern, age-old traditional stew that everyone loves! My mom never made it like this for us. She would bake it in the oven all in one pan, which turns out so flavorful as well!
For some reason, I find making it this way so easy and more efficient. It’s an excellent dish for busy days!! Let me tell you, whenever I’m in a hurry and need something quick, I go for this Hearty Kafta and Potato Stew.
It makes me feel at ease, knowing that I finally get to spend some quality time with my family and less time in the kitchen. Also called yekhnet kafta and batata, this stew is so wholesome and filling!
Different Ways Of Making Kafta
Kafta Bi Tahini
A fun twist on this recipe would include the authentic tahini sauce. Season the kafta just like how you’d do following this recipe, but instead shape it into one large patty, then toss it into the oven until halfway cooked.
While in the oven, prepare the tahini sauce by mixing ½ a cup of tahini with as much hot water as you need until you reach the desired consistency- I like the sauce to be thick. Then add in a clove of minced garlic, 4 tablespoons of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and whisk.
Take the kafta out, flip it over, pour in your sauce, and back into the oven. Once it’s done, sprinkle with parsley and some cooked, golden brown pine nuts then serve with white rice.
Kafta Glazed With Pomegranate Molasses
If you’re in the mood for something sweet, sour, and a bit tangy, here’s what you can do. Prepare the kafta meat just as this recipe says, shape into hotdog-like patties, then cook. After that wipe the excess oil from the pan and drop some pomegranate molasses.
While on medium heat, add in your kafta and gently roll it until it’s perfectly glazed with the molasses. Another option is to drizzle the long patties with the molasses after plating. You can serve with rice, tahini sauce, or enjoy on its own!
Try This If You’re Up For the Spice!
For all the spicy food lovers out there, I bring you an “eyes-watering” sauce to drizzle over your kafta and potato stew bowl. Scoop out as much as you want from the tomato stew you’ve prepared, add a little bit of minced garlic, some crushed jalapeño, and a ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano.
If the whole family is a fan of spicy food, you can mix some chili powder with the ground beef while you shape it as desired. Either way, you’ll still get the smokiness you’re looking for!
Tips and Tricks
Tip 1: You can make the seven spice seasoning yourself using allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, ground cloves, cumin, ground coriander, and white pepper. You can also purchase it from the market I purchase it from. Click Here
Tip 2: Make sure your don’t overcook the veggies so they don’t turn mushy and lose the flavor. Cooking time depends on the size of your veggies and kafta balls, hence it’s preferable to check if they’re cooked by inserting a fork or a toothpick.
Tip 3: Deep fry or air fry your potatoes for extra crispiness!
Tip 4: Try grating the onions before adding them into the beef so you don’t end up with chunks, which makes it harder to form the kafta balls. A food processor will do the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes of course. The healthier version is also an option. Start by laying your kafta into a baking pan with no oil, then bake for about 15 minutes until the kafta is halfway done. After that, add in your raw veggies and stew, cover with aluminum foil, then bake until cooked.
If you’re short on tomato paste, you can make a tomato sauce by blending about 4 medium sized raw tomatoes, then adding salt to adjust the flavor to your preference. Use water to thin out your sauce if it’s too thick. If it turned out too loose, add more tomatoes.
Ground lamb is another good alternative, and a combination of both is even better.
The List of Ingredients For Kafta Bl Sonieh
- ground meat
- chopped parsley curly or italian
- salt
- olive oil
- seven spices
- potatoes
- onions, white or red
- mixed peppers
- tomatoes
- tomato paste
- water
Here Is How To Prep This Hearty Kafta and Potato Stew
This Hearty Kafta and Potato Stew Feels Just Like Home!
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Vermicelli Rice
- Seven Spices – seasoning
- Simple Lebanese Meat and Rice
- Beef Shawarma Egg Rolls
- Lebanese Tabouli Salad
- Kibbeh Bil Sanieh (Baked Kibbeh)
- Meat Pies – Lahme Bi Ajeen
- Freekeh with Beef Shanks
- Beef Shank Layered Fatteh
- Lebanese Veggie Pizza (Pie)
Hearty kafta and Potato Stew
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
Kafta Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground meat
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons seven spices
- 2 teaspoons salt
Stew
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon seven spices
- 4 large potatoes, cubed
- 5 medium onions, white or red, sliced or julienne
- 3-4 medium mixed peppers, cubed
- 2 medium tomatoes, cubed
- 1 cup tomato paste
- 10 cups water, about
Instructions
Kafta Meatballs
- In a bowl, add the ground beef and mix it well with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, seven spices, and salt. Meanwhile, place a large skillet on high heat and generously spray it with cooking oil or olive oil.
- Form the seasoned kafta meat into 2 inch size balls. Sear the meatballs for 1 minute on each side or until browned. They will remain raw on the inside and that is okay, they will cook with the boiling stew. Remove using a spoon. Set aside or place into the pot of sautéed veggies if ready.
Stew
- To a large pot add olive oil on medium heat. Sauté the cubed potatoes for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add in the onions and peppers and continue to sauté for another 5-7 minutes.
- Add in the kafta meatballs, cubed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and seven spices, then add water until all the ingredients are immersed. Allow to come to a boil then place on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt to your liking. Enjoy with warm rice!
This is one of my families favorite. I used to make it in the oven. Since I saw you make it in a pot, that is the only way I do it and my family loves it. Love how easy and delicious your recipes are and I love the healthy spin you add. So motivating.
This makes me so happy to hear!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Tried this recipe and it turned out so good. My kids also enjoyed it with a side of white rice. Love how quick it was to make and how delicious it was.
YAY! Glad to hear you and your family enjoyed this recipe!! Super Hearty!
I made this last night just tweaked it by adding a little more spices and omg it was to die for!!! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe
Amazing recipe the entire family loved it and best part so easy!
This makes me so happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed the Kafta and Potatos Stew! Thank you so much for your feedback!
I made this potato and kafta stew today for dinner and we loved it. The rice with vermicelli turned out great too. Another successful dish, thanks to your recipe ❤
Amazing kafta w batata! This is the only place I come to for Lebanese recipes! My neighbor is lebanese but whenever I ask her for recipe ingredients she never gives me exact measurements or spices😂
I’m so happy I found your recipes Lama, they are the best and most authentic. Thank you for sharing.
This stew turned out perfect. My kids ate the whole thing! Will add it to our dinner rotation. Thanks Lama