Kefta Recipe

Kefta is an Arabic version of the Indian kofta or meatball. It is believed that kofta originated in Persia, from where it was passed on to the Arabs. It has been mentioned in early Arabic cookbooks according to ‘The Oxford Companion to Food’. These versions were made with ground lamb, which was rolled into spheres and glazed with egg yolk and saffron. Every country seems to have its own meatball: Spain has albondigas, China has lion’s heads, and The Netherlands has bitterballen. The reason that meatballs are found in almost every country is that they are accessible and affordable. They can be made with any kind of meat, even if it involves using cheap cuts because the meat would ultimately have to be ground. Italian-American immigrants in the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries found meatballs appealing for these reasons.