Morocco's souk kebab: ground beef or lamb kneaded with cumin, paprika, fresh coriander, and mint, pressed around flat skewers and grilled over coals, then eaten folded into khobz bread. The same spiced mince also simmers into the famous kefta-and-egg tagine.
Also known as: kefta, kofta brochettes, qotban, brochettes de kefta, kefta skewers, Moroccan Kefta Skewers, kefta kebab, kefta brochettes, kefta meshwiya, Moroccan kofta kebab, kafta skewers
Watch it made
Ingredients
- 600 g beef or lamb mince, about 20% fat
- 1 small onion, grated and squeezed dry
- 15 g fresh coriander, 10 g mint and 10 g parsley, all chopped fine
- 6 g (2 tsp) ground cumin, plus extra for cumin-salt
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- pinch of cayenne
- 1.25 tsp salt
- khobz bread and tomato-onion salad, to serve
How to make it
- 1
Knead the mince with onion, herbs and spices for 2 min until tacky.
- 2
Rest 30 min in the fridge for the spices to bloom.
- 3
Press slim 10 cm cigars around flat skewers with damp hands.
- 4
Grill over hot coals 6-8 min, one turn per face; kefta this thin overcooks in the time it takes to check your phone.
- 5
Stuff into khobz with the salad, and set cumin mixed with salt on the table for dipping.
Pro tip: Season the meat modestly and serve cumin-salt alongside instead, the way Marrakech grill stalls do; each bite gets dipped to taste.
The story of Moroccan Kefta Brochettes
Kefta brochettes are Morocco's souk kebab: ground beef or lamb kneaded with cumin, paprika, fresh coriander and mint, pressed around flat skewers and grilled over coals, then eaten folded into khobz bread. The same spiced mince simmers into the famous kefta-and-egg tagine, which is one of the country's most-cooked dishes.
In the souks of Marrakech and Fez the brochette stalls operate the way Turkish kebab houses do — a butcher's counter and a grill in one operation, meat chosen and minced to order. The Djemaa el-Fna food stalls at night are the most theatrical version of a format that exists in every Moroccan market.
The technique that defines it
Fresh herbs in quantity are the Moroccan signature and they distinguish kefta from every other minced kebab in this book. Coriander and flat-leaf parsley go in by the bunch, and mint — which is unusual in a minced kebab — is what makes the mixture read as North African rather than Levantine.
The mince is worked with grated onion, squeezed dry, until it holds, then pressed onto flat skewers. Moroccan seasoning is warm and generous: cumin above all, sweet paprika, a little cayenne, black pepper. Grilling is fast over hot coals and the skewers are turned once or twice.
Choosing your ingredients
Beef or lamb, or a mix, at around 20 percent fat. Moroccan butchers will add fat to order. Onion grated and squeezed. Coriander and parsley by the bunch, and fresh mint chopped fine.
Cumin is the dominant spice and should be more generous than feels right. Sweet paprika for colour, cayenne for a little heat. Khobz — the round Moroccan bread — for serving, plus a bowl of cumin mixed with salt for dipping, which is the traditional table condiment.
Mistakes that ruin it
Skimping on fresh herbs
Coriander, parsley and mint go in by the bunch. They are structural, not a garnish.
Leaving out the mint
It is the North African marker in this mixture and its absence makes the kefta read as generic.
Wet onion
Grate and squeeze it, as with every minced kebab. Wet onion means the meat slides off.
Under-cumining
Cumin is the dominant spice in Moroccan grilling. Be generous.
How it is served
Folded into khobz with a bowl of cumin-salt for dipping, grilled tomato and pepper, and a tomato-and-onion salad. Mint tea afterwards, always. In the souk it is bought by weight and grilled while you wait at a bench.
Questions about Moroccan Kefta Brochettes
What herbs go into Moroccan kefta?
Coriander and flat-leaf parsley by the bunch, plus fresh mint — the mint is the North African signature and is unusual in a minced kebab.
What is the cumin-salt for?
It is the traditional Moroccan table condiment for grilled meat — cumin mixed with salt, for dipping each bite.
Beef or lamb?
Both are used and a mix is common. What matters more is the fat content, which should be around 20 percent.
Is the same mixture used for tagine?
Yes — kefta mtewma, the kefta-and-egg tagine, uses the same spiced mince simmered in tomato sauce.
