Shaaryia Medfouna with kefta (Burried in vermicelli and Moroccan meatballs)

Shaaryia Medfouna with kefta

Burried in vermicelli and Moroccan meatballs

 So, due to my recent infatuation with this beautiful cookbook "Arabesque" by Claudia Rodin I am cooking lately, a series of North African/ Middle Eastern dishes.

My tagine came very, handy, in this case, but if you don't have one, you can use any other dish, preferably a cast iron or a clay pot. So less talk, more action :)

Kefta

1 1/4 lb ground beef or lamb

½ cup of chopped scallions

½ cup of chopped parsley

2 tbs of paprika

2 tbs cayenne

1 tbs of cumin powder

Salt to taste

2 eggs

Mix the ingredients together, form the meat kefta, the size of a walnut, lay them on a lightly greased tray, and roast them for 10 minutes at 375 F. 

Remove them from the oven, cool them of for few minutes, and then finish them in the sauce.

 Sauce
3 cups of beef broth
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads or powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 cup almonds
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 lb of vermicelli

Melt 3 tbs of butter in a sauté pan, add the oil, chopped onions, saffron,  ginger, 1 cup of broth, cook it together for 3-4 minutes, then add the honey, mix it together then add the kefta and the raisins together, pouring the second cup of broth, cover it up and cook it together for 15 minutes. While the meat is cooking, add water to boil, then cook the vermicelli a bit al dente,  drain them, mix a table spoon of butter and add them on top of the meat cover  up the dish, and serve after 10 minutes with chopped almonds, sprinkled cinnamon and chopped coriander. You can add some chilli peppers as well for presentation or as kick :)

Enjoy!