Kafta Meshwi — Grilled Spiced Meat Skewers

Middle Eastern Non Fasting Published April 21, 2026

Non-Fasting Recipe: This dish contains meat, dairy, or eggs and is intended for feast days and non-fasting periods.

Seasoned lamb and beef, shaped by hand around long skewers and grilled over charcoal — kafta is the
Arab world's answer to a hamburger, but far more flavourful. Onion, parsley, and warm spices are
kneaded into the meat. The texture should be bouncy and dense, never crumbly. Served with flatbread
and a riot of cold salads.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (lamb, beef)

SERVINGS: 6 (about 12 skewers)
TIME: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
- 500 g ground lamb (with some fat — 20%)
- 500 g ground beef
- 2 large onions, very finely chopped (by hand, not processor — should be uniform)
- 1 large bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cloves
- 0.5 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 long flat metal skewers (for shaping)

For serving:
- Flatbread or pita
- Grilled tomatoes, onions, green peppers
- Tahini-lemon sauce or yogurt
- Sumac-onion salad: 1 red onion sliced thin, tossed with 1 tablespoon sumac, juice of 0.5 lemon, and parsley

METHOD:
1. In a large bowl, combine both meats, chopped onions, parsley, and all spices.
2. Knead vigorously for 5-8 minutes. The mixture should become tacky and almost sticky — this is what makes kafta hold on the skewer and have the right bounce.
3. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to firm up.
4. Take a handful of meat (about 100 g). Wet your hands with cold water. Press the meat around a flat skewer into a long, thin cigar about 20 cm long and 3 cm thick. Pinch firm, flat grooves along the length with your fingers.
5. Build a hot charcoal fire. Grill skewers 8-10 minutes total, turning every 2 minutes, until nicely charred outside and just cooked through.
6. Serve on flatbread with grilled vegetables, sauce, and sumac-onion salad. Slide kafta off the skewer at the table.

NOTES:
- Flat metal skewers are essential. Round skewers cause the meat to spin when you try to turn it.
- A 20% fat content in the meat is minimum — leaner will be dry. Ask your butcher to grind a fatty cut.
- Hand-chopping the onion gives a better texture than food-processing. The onion should be visible but fine.
- If you don't have skewers, form into sausage-shaped logs and grill on a rack.

NUTRITION (per 2 skewers with pita, approximate):
Calories: 510 | Protein: 36 g | Carbohydrates: 26 g | Fat: 30 g | Fibre: 2 g