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1
Half-Cook the Rice
15 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Rinse the rice, then boil it in plenty of water for 15 minutes until it is only half-cooked — still firm in the middle. Drain and spread it on a plate to cool.
Half-cooked is the point: fully cooked rice turns to mush inside the meatballs, raw rice stays hard.
Done when: Rice firm in the middle, cool enough to handle.
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2
Mix and Shape the Kofta
10 Mins
Room temperature
Put the beef in a large bowl with the cooled rice, the finely chopped onion, half the garlic, the egg, breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, the coriander, cinnamon, black pepper and 5 g of the salt. Mix and knead with your hands for 2 minutes, then shape into about 16 oval meatballs, each about the size of a small egg.
Wet your hands lightly before shaping — the mix will not stick to damp hands.
Done when: 16 smooth, even ovals that hold their shape when lifted.
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3
Fry the Meatballs
10 Mins
Medium-high heat, ~190°C (375°F)
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs in batches, turning them, for about 8 minutes until browned all over. They do not need to be cooked through yet — they finish in the sauce. Lift them out onto a plate.
Brown in batches and never crowd the pan; crowded meatballs steam grey instead of browning.
Done when: Deep brown crust all over, still slightly soft in the middle.
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4
Build the Tomato Sauce
20 Mins
Medium heat, ~170°C (340°F)
In the same pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat and cook the sliced onion for 5 minutes until soft and golden. Add the remaining garlic, the tomato paste and the remaining cumin and cook 1 minute more. Add the diced tomatoes and the water, then simmer, mashing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, for about 12 minutes until the sauce is thick and rich.
Mashing the tomatoes as they cook is what makes the sauce thick without a blender.
Done when: A thick, brick-red sauce that coats the spoon.
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5
Simmer the Kofta in the Sauce
15 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Return the meatballs to the pan, spooning the sauce over them. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes, turning the meatballs once halfway, until they are cooked through — the centre of the thickest one should reach 71°C (160°F). Taste and add the remaining salt if needed.
Keep the simmer gentle: a hard boil knocks the meatballs apart.
Done when: Meatballs cooked through and glossy with sauce, the sauce thick and clinging.
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6
Rest and Serve
5 Mins
Serving temperature, above 63°C (145°F)
Take the pan off the heat, scatter the chopped coriander over the top and rest for 5 minutes. Serve in a wide bowl with the sauce spooned over, with warm flatbread or steamed rice beside it.
The rest lets the meatballs soak up the last of the sauce instead of leaving it in the pan.
Done when: Hot meatballs in a rich tomato sauce, coriander bright green on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Taste the sauce once the meatballs have simmered — it should be rich and savoury with a gentle warmth from the cumin and cinnamon. A squeeze of lemon at the table is welcome, but do not add it to the pot.
Sudan
30m
France
Vietnam