Kafta Bil Sanieh literally translates to kafta in a pan. I've shared kafta in previous posts kafta in pita and sauteed kafta. As I've said previously, kafta is so versatile. Here's yet another way we use it. This dish is the definition of comfort food and is perfect for cold weather nights. This is a meat and potatoes dish. It consists of kafta, potato slices stewed in a tomato broth served with Middle Eastern rice pilaf. This dish is delicious, easy to make and so comforting. It's one of my favorites and I'm sure after you try it, it'll become one of yours.
REASONS YOU SHOULD TRY THIS RECIPE:
- literally a meat and potatoes dish that will fill you up
- a staple Lebanese homemade meal
- so good and good for you
HOW TO MAKE KAFTA BIL SANIEH:
- Begin by peeling and cutting the red onions into quarters. Once cut, remove the inner bulbs and discard them. Next, wash the parsley very well and allow the parsley to sit in a strainer to drain any excess moisture. Next, wash the parsley very well and allow the parsley to sit in a strainer to drain any excess moisture.
- Take three or four clean paper towels, place them on top of the onion/parsley mixture, and begin to wring out any excess moisture. After wringing the mixture out the best you can, dump the parsley/onion mixture into the bowl with the ground beef or lamb. Add in the seven spices, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Begin to gently mix until everything is well combined and uniform. Taste a small piece to taste for seasoning. Adjust the seasoning to your liking, if necessary.
- Begin to roll about two heaping tablespoons or a mini cookie scoop’s amount worth of kafta in between the palms of your hands until you form a log. Push the ends in gently and continue rolling until you get an oblong, football-shaped kafta. If you find it too difficult to roll them into this shape, you can just shape them into balls. Place the kafta in a very large round pan as you finish rolling them. Do this until you have a pan full of kafta.
- Set the pan of kafta aside. Peel your potatoes, wash them, and slice them into ¼" thick slices. Fry in vegetable oil at 350° F until they just reach a golden brown color. As they are done frying, place them in a pan lined with paper towels to allow them to drain off excess oil. Continue frying until all the potatoes are fried.
- Once the potatoes have been fried and drained, gently begin to top the kafta with the potatoes.
- In a large bowl, pour the 10 cups of warm water. Add in the tomato paste and mix until combined. Add in the salt, black pepper, and seven spices and mix until combined.
- Pour this water/tomato mixture into the kafta and potato pan making sure to get it all in there. Season the top with more salt and pepper. Slice one large red onion and place the slices on top of the kafta and potatoes and do the same with two tomatoes. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for two hours. Be careful, this pan will be very heavy.
Rice
- While our potatoes and kafta are baking, we can work on our rice pilaf.
- Place the rice in a large bowl. Pour very warm water over the rice just until the water covers the rice by about a ¼″. Allow the rice to soak for about 30 minutes.
- Pour the rice and water mixture through a strainer and wash the rice thoroughly with warm water. Place the strainer over a bowl to allow the excess water to drip for about ten minutes.
- After the excess water has drained, place the shortening or oil in a pot over high heat. If you’re using the shortening, stir until it’s fully melted. Pour the vermicelli noodles into the pot. Stir frequently. After about 5 minutes or once the noodles have gotten to more of a brownish color, add the rice to the noodles and cook both for a couple more minutes. We just want to toast the rice for a couple of minutes and this will also finish off cooking the noodles to a color we’re satisfied with. The noodles should be browned, but not burned. They’re naturally golden in color and will darken as you cook them. I could have gone darker than what I had pictured, but oh well.
- Once the sauteeing is done, pour cold water into the pot. Add in the vinegar and salt. Stir just a little bit until the rice is fully covered by the water. Cover with the lid and cook on high heat until most of the water is soaked up from the top. This takes about 5 minutes or so on high heat. Make sure to check to see if the water is soaked up just enough. Some water should be visible, but most of it should be soaked up from the top. It’s important not to overdo it or the rice will be overcooked.
- Turn the heat to low. Cover the pot with layers of paper towel and place the lid on top of the paper towels. Cook on low for 20-25 minutes. After 20-25 minutes, turn the heat off and leave the lid and paper towels on top until you're ready to serve. Fluff up the rice before serving.
- After the kafta cooks for two hours, remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake at 200°F for about twenty minutes. After that, remove it from the oven.
- To serve, place some rice in a bowl and top with the baked kafta and potatoes with a bit of the broth, tomatoes, and onions.
SOME MORE GREAT LEBANESE RECIPES:
Kafta Bil Sanieh (Baked Kafta and Potatoes)
Baked kafta and potatoes with rice pilaf
Ingredients
Rice Pilaf
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 cups very warm water or enough to just cover the rice by an additional ¼"
- ¾ cup Crisco shortening or vegetable oil
- 1 cup vermicelli noodles
- 4 cups cold water
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Kafta
- 3 lbs ground chuck or lamb
- 2 large red onions chopped finely
- 2 large bunches Italian flat leaf parsley minced or chopped finely
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste
- 2 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- 2 ¼ teaspoon seven spice
Potatoes
- 7-8 russet potatoes peeled and sliced
Water Mixture
- 10 cups warm water
- 2 cans tomato paste 6 oz each
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- 1 tablespoon seven spice
Finishing Touches
- 1 large red onion sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes sliced
Instructions
- Begin by peeling and cutting the red onions into quarters. Once cut, remove the inner bulbs and discard them. Next, wash the parsley very well and allow the parsley to sit in a strainer to drain any excess moisture. Next, wash the parsley very well and allow the parsley to sit in a strainer to drain any excess moisture.
- Take three or four clean paper towels, place them on top of the onion/parsley mixture, and begin to wring out any excess moisture. After wringing the mixture out the best you can, dump the parsley/onion mixture into the bowl with the ground beef or lamb. Add in the seven spice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Begin to gently mix until everything is well combined and uniform. Taste a small piece to taste for seasoning. Adjust the seasoning to your liking, if necessary.
- Begin to roll about two heaping tablespoons or a mini cookie scoop’s amount worth of kafta in between the palm of your hands until you form a log. Push the ends in gently and continue rolling until you get an oblong, football-shaped kafta. If you find it too difficult to roll them into this shape, you can just shape them into balls. Place the kafta in a very large round pan as you finish rolling them. Do this until you have a pan full of kafta.
- Set the pan of kafta aside. Peel your potatoes, wash them and slice them into ¼" thick slices. Fry in vegetable oil at 350° F until they just reach a golden brown color. As they are done frying, place them in a pan lined with paper towels to allow them to drain off excess oil. Continue frying until all the potatoes are fried.
- Once the potatoes have been fried and drained, gently begin to top the kafta with the potatoes.
- In a large bowl, pour the 10 cups of warm water. Add in the tomato paste and mix until combined. Add in the salt, black pepper, and seven spice and mix until combined.
- Pour this water/tomato mixture into the kafta and potato pan making sure to get it all in there. Season the top with more salt and pepper. Slice one large red onion and place the slices on top of the kafta and potatoes and do the same with two tomatoes. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for two hours. Be careful, this pan will be very heavy.
- While our potatoes and kafta are baking, we can work on our rice pilaf. Place the rice in a large bowl. Pour very warm water over the rice just until the water covers the rice by about a ¼″. Allow the rice to soak for about 30 minutes.
- Pour the rice and water mixture through a strainer and wash the rice thoroughly with warm water. Place the strainer over a bowl to allow the excess water to drip for about ten minutes.
- After the excess water has drained, place the shortening or oil in a pot over high heat. If you’re using the shortening, stir until it’s fully melted. Pour the vermicelli noodles into the pot. Stir frequently. After about 5 minutes or once the noodles have gotten to more of a brownish color, add the rice to the noodles and cook both for a couple more minutes. We just want to toast the rice for a couple of minutes and this will also finish off cooking the noodles to a color we’re satisfied with. The noodles should be browned, but not burned. They’re naturally golden in color and will darken as you cook them. I could have actually gone darker than what I have pictured, but oh well.
- Once the sauteeing is done, pour cold water into the pot. Add in the vinegar and salt. Stir just a little bit until the rice is fully covered by the water. Cover with the lid and cook on high heat until most of the water is soaked up from the top. This takes about 5 minutes or so on high heat. Make sure to check to see if the water is soaked up just enough. Some water should be visible, but most of it should be soaked up from the top. It’s important not to overdo it or the rice will be overcooked.
- Turn the heat to low. Cover the pot with layers of paper towel and place the lid on top of the paper towels. Cook on low for 20-25 minutes. After 20-25 minutes, turn the heat off and leave the lid and paper towels on top until you're ready to serve. Fluff up the rice prior to serving.
- After the kafta cooks for two hours, remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake at 200°F for about twenty minutes. After that, remove it from the oven.
- To serve, place some rice in a bowl and top with the baked kafta and potatoes with a bit of the broth, tomatoes, and onions.
Video
Notes
Store covered in the fridge for up to three days.
©️ 2025 Faye's Food | Template by Maya Palmer Designs |