Kafta Stew

Make sure your kafta is ready before you begin — you can find my Kafta Recipe linked here. Once your kafta is made, portion it into small, round, bite-sized balls and set aside. These will be soft, so handle them gently throughout.

In a wide, saucepan over medium heat, melt the ghee. Add the sliced onions and sauté until softened and just beginning to colour. Add the kafta portions to the pan and brown them well, turning them gently so they hold their shape — the meat is soft, so be careful not to toss them too roughly. If you want a better sear, you can fry the kafta portions separately in their own pan and add them to the onions once browned — they do colour a little better this way. I usually just do it all in the one pot to save on dishes, and it still turns out great.

Once browned on all sides, add the tomato paste and water, and season with salt. Stir to combine, then place the lid on and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 25-30 minutes.

While the stew is simmering, heat a small drizzle of olive oil in a small fry pan over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and toast until lightly golden — watch it carefully as it can colour quickly. Remove from the heat and transfer the toasted garlic to a small food processor along with the fresh coriander. Pulse until finely chopped but not puréed — you want a rough, textured mixture rather than a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir through olive oil until you have a loose, vibrant green sauce.

Spoon the kafta stew into a serving dish or individual bowls and drizzle the garlic and coriander sauce generously over the top just before serving.

A Few Things You'll Want to Know

Do I have to use ghee?
Not at all. Ghee gives a lovely richness and a slightly nutty flavour, but you can easily substitute it with olive oil or any neutral oil you have on hand. The stew will still be delicious.

Why do you toast the garlic instead of using it fresh?
Fresh garlic blitzed straight into the sauce can be quite sharp and overpowering — it has a raw, biting quality that tends to dominate the whole dish. Toasting it first mellows the flavour significantly and gives it a much more pleasant, rounded taste. It makes a real difference.

Can I skip the coriander sauce and just do it the traditional way?
Absolutely. The more traditional approach is to fry the garlic and add it directly to the stew along with the oil, then finish with fresh chopped coriander stirred through at the end. This version with the sauce is my own take on the dish — I love the way it looks drizzled over the top, and it adds a really fresh, fragrant note. But both ways are wonderful.

Does it have to be kafta, or can I use a different spiced mince?
Kafta is the traditional choice for this stew, and for good reason — the spices and herbs that go into it are perfectly suited to simmering in tomato sauce. That said, you can absolutely use your own spiced mince if you prefer. Just keep in mind that the flavour profile will be different depending on what you season it with.

Can I use straight lamb or straight beef instead of a combined kafta mix?
Yes, you can use either. Just be aware that straight lamb mince can be quite fatty, which means your kafta portions will be very soft and delicate. Handle them gently in the pan and they'll still hold together well.

What do I serve this with?
This kafta stew is wonderful spooned over our traditional vermicelli rice, which soaks up all that tomato sauce beautifully. It's also great with just white jasmin rice if you want something a little more simple. A simple salad on the side and some good bread for scooping is all you need.

Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes — and honestly it might be even better the next day. The flavours deepen as it sits. Store the stew and the garlic coriander sauce separately in the fridge, and make a fresh batch of sauce if you want it to stay vibrant and green.

Why isn't my kafta browning well when I fry it with the onion?
If your pan has a smaller base, that can be the reason — the onions and kafta end up crowding each other and steaming instead of browning properly. In that case, it's best to fry the kafta portions separately first, then add them to the onions once they're done. That said, don't stress too much if they don't come out perfectly browned — the dish still works beautifully either way, since everything continues to cook and develop flavour as it simmers in the sauce.