Kafta Bil Saneya
Jordanian baked kafta: spiced lamb-and-beef mince patties layered in a tray over sliced potato and tomato, topped with tomato slices, peppers and a tomato-pomegranate sauce, baked until everything is tender and the top is bronzed. A Friday lunch or family dinner; eaten with rice or warm bread.
Overview
Mixed lamb-and-beef mince mixes with grated onion, parsley, allspice, cinnamon and salt. Potato slices and tomato slices line a wide baking dish. The mince mix shapes into thick patties (or flat layer) and goes on top. More tomato and pepper slices over. A tomato sauce (tomato puree, pomegranate molasses, garlic, stock) pours over. Baked for 40 minutes at 200°C.
Ingredients
Kafta
- 500 g lamb mince
- 300 g beef mince
- 1 onion (large, very finely grated, juices reserved)
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Tray layers
- 4 potatoes (medium, peeled, sliced 5 mm thick)
- 3 tomatoes (large, sliced 5 mm)
- 1 green bell pepper (sliced into rings)
- 1 red onion (small, sliced)
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 500 ml hot stock (or water)
To finish
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (for drizzling)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
Method
Stage 1 - Kafta mix
- Combine all kafta ingredients in a wide bowl. Mix thoroughly with hands.
- Rest 10 minutes.
Stage 2 - Pre-fry potato (optional but better texture)
- Heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
- Lay potato slices on an oiled tray; drizzle with oil; bake 15 minutes to par-cook.
Stage 3 - Assemble
- In a wide oven dish (28 x 22 cm), arrange the par-baked potato slices to cover the base.
- Shape the kafta into 4 thick patties (or one flat 2 cm layer); place over the potato.
- Top with sliced tomato, bell pepper, red onion.
Stage 4 - Sauce
- Whisk tomato puree, pomegranate molasses, garlic, allspice, salt with the hot stock.
- Pour over the tray, around (not over) the kafta. The liquid should come halfway up the patties.
Stage 5 - Bake
- Drizzle olive oil over the top.
- Bake 40-45 minutes - kafta is cooked through and the top is bronzed.
- If the top is pale, switch to grill 3 minutes.
Stage 6 - Serve
- Rest 5 minutes; scatter parsley.
- Eat with white rice (timman) or warm bread.
Notes
- Pomegranate molasses is the Jordan signature: Gives the sauce the deep sweet-sour note. Don't substitute.
- Pre-fry the potato: Skipping this step gives raw potato - the kafta cooks faster than potato in the same tray. Par-cooking solves it.
- Layering matters: Potato on the bottom soaks up the kafta juices; tomato on top stays bright.
Storage
- Refrigerate 3 days; reheat covered at 180°C 15 minutes.
- Freezes 2 months.
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