Hyatt Regency’s Chef Barakat: Beef Koftas with Grilled Tomatoes

Koftas are meatballs (in Arabic). Together with shawarmas, falafel and
hummus, koftas are one of the ubiquitous Arab dishes enjoyed across all the
Arab nations. Chef Barakat says they are essentially home food: something
simple, basic and familiar, yet loaded with memories and associations.
Every Arab cook will have his or her own version. They can be made in any
shape: balls, flat patties or thick sausage-like shapes.
For his version of beef koftas, Chef Barakat insists that you buy the best
fresh mince beef from the butcher. Serve with grilled tomatoes.

You will need:

Beef Koftas
•       500g fresh beef mince
•       300g finely chopped onions
•       200g finely chopped parsley (from about 2 large bunches)
•       1 tsp salt
•       ½ tsp ground black pepper
•       80ml or 1/3 cup olive oil
Grilled Tomatoes
•       250g tomatoes
•       1 tbs Olive oil
•       Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

1. Put all the kofta ingredients in a bowl and use your hands to mix well.
   Now shape into long, sausage-like shapes and put on skewers. Press the mix
   to compress it, ensure the kofta is tight and keeps its shape. Brush olive
   oil all over the koftas. Grill over a barbeque, or under a hot grill,  for
   10 to 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
2. Cut the tomatoes in two halves. Brush olive oil over the tomatoes and
   sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the tomatoes for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Serve hot the beef koftas with grilled tomatoes.

Arabic theme night is on every Tuesday at The Palm, Hyatt Regency, Dar Es Salaam, The Kilimanjaro, 24 Kivukoni Front.
65,000 TZS Per Person.
Reservations: +255 764 701 234