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Jordanian · Palestinian · Levantine

Kofta bil tahini

Non-vegetarian

كفتة بالطحينة · kofta bil tahina

Spiced lamb and parsley kofta baked on a bed of sliced potatoes and tomatoes, then smothered in a lemony tahini sauce. A comforting family tray bake from Jordanian and Palestinian homes.

Kofta bil tahini is a Jordanian main course, ready in about 1 hour 20 minutes and made with ground lamb and tahini. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
25 min
Cook
50 min
Rest
5 min
Total
1 h 20 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
740

Ingredients

4 servings

For the tahini sauce

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the lamb, onion (opens in a new tab), parsley (opens in a new tab), allspice (opens in a new tab), cinnamon (opens in a new tab), salt and pepper (opens in a new tab) with your hands until sticky. Shape into 12 small fingers or one flat layer.

    • 10 min

    Food safety: Wash hands after handling raw meat.

  2. Step 2

    Toss the potatoes (opens in a new tab) with half the oil and a pinch of salt, spread in a baking dish (opens in a new tab) and roast until starting to colour.

  3. Step 3

    Arrange the kofta and tomato (opens in a new tab) slices over the potatoes (opens in a new tab), drizzle with the remaining oil and roast until the kofta are browned.

    • 15 min
    • 200°C

    Food safety: Minced lamb must reach 71 °C in the centre by the end of baking.

  4. Step 4

    Whisk the tahini (opens in a new tab), lemon juice (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab) and salt, then add water gradually until it is the consistency of pouring cream. Pour over the tray and bake until bubbling at the edges.

    • 15 min
    • 200°C

    Tahini seizes and thickens at first — keep whisking in water and it will loosen.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Rest for 5 minutes, scatter with pine nuts (opens in a new tab) and serve.

    • 5 min
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin uncertainA home dish shared by Jordan, Palestine and neighbouring Levantine countries; no single origin.Also popular in Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Casseroles & bakes
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Roasted
Taste
nutty, savoury, tangy, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Without the optional extras: No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · One-pan
Cook more with
Ground lamb · Tahini · Onion · Parsley · Allspice · Cinnamon
Techniques
Roasting · Baking

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Tree nutsfrom pine nuts
  • Contains: Sesamefrom tahini

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

740 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 477 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 16%
  • Carbohydrate 21%
  • Fat 64%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy740 kcal155 kcal
Protein29.3 g6.2 g
Carbohydrate39.4 g8.3 g
Net carbohydrate32.1 g6.7 g
Sugars4.6 g1 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre7.4 g1.5 g
Fat53.2 g11.2 g
Saturated fat16.1 g3.4 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol91 mg19 mg
Sodium1287 mg270 mg
Salt equivalent3.2 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1277 mg
Calcium
185 mg
Iron
6.3 mg
Magnesium
101 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
58 µg
Vitamin C
57 mg
Vitamin D
0.1 µg
Vitamin B12
2.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
99 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: pine nuts.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Make the tahini sauce a little thinner than you want it — it thickens in the oven.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the potatoes raw with the kofta: they won't cook through in time, so roast them first.

Serve with

  • Serve with vermicelli rice or bread and a chopped salad.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days in the fridge.

Reheating

  • Reheat covered in the oven with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Variations

  • Kofta bil bandora: Bake the kofta in a tomato sauce instead of tahini.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Ground lamb, about 20% fat, well chilled500 g
  • Potato, peeled and sliced 5 mm thick3 piece · 600 g
  • Tomato, sliced2 piece · 240 g
Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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