Lebanese Kafta bil Sanieh (Baked Kafta and Potato Tray)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 200°C. Finely chop 150 g yellow onion and 30 g fresh parsley. Peel 400 g potatoes and slice them into 0.5 cm thick rounds. Prepare a deep 25x30 cm baking dish on your kitchen counter.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, combine 500 g ground beef, chopped onion, chopped parsley, 5 g Lebanese Seven Spices, and 4 g of salt. Knead vigorously with your hands for 3 minutes until the meat mixture becomes cohesive, smooth, and holds together easily.

3. 3

   Heat 30 ml olive oil in a wide nonstick skillet over medium heat. Fry the potato slices for 4 to 5 minutes per side until lightly golden and half-cooked. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain extra oil.

4. 4

   Press the beef kafta mixture evenly across the bottom of the deep baking dish into a flat layer about 1.5 cm thick. Arrange the pan-fried potato slices neatly over the meat layer in an overlapping pattern, covering the kafta completely.

5. 5

   In a bowl, whisk 50 g tomato paste, remaining 4 g salt, and 250 ml warm water until smooth. Pour sauce over potatoes and kafta. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes until the liquid boils.

6. 6

   Remove foil and bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes more until sauce thickens and potatoes turn crispy around edges. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm directly from tray with flatbread or rice.