Tunisia's take on the minced skewer runs hotter than its neighbors, seasoning ground lamb or beef with harissa, dried mint, and caraway before grilling. Typically stuffed into baguette or mlawi flatbread with fiery mechouia salad.
Also known as: kefta tunisienne, Tunisian kofta skewers, brochettes tunisiennes, kefteji skewers
Watch it made
Ingredients
- 500 g minced lamb or beef (about 20% fat)
- 1 small onion, grated and squeezed dry
- 2 tbsp harissa, plus extra to serve
- 2 tsp dried mint
- 1 tsp ground caraway
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 15 g parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- pita or baguette, to serve
How to make it
- 1
Knead the mince with onion, harissa, dried mint, caraway, coriander, parsley and salt for 3-4 minutes until sticky and cohesive.
- 2
Chill 30 minutes, then press the meat around flat skewers into sausages about 12 cm long.
- 3
Cook over medium-hot coals 8-10 minutes, rolling every couple of minutes so the harissa crust darkens without burning.
- 4
Slide off the skewers into warm bread with extra harissa loosened with a little olive oil.
Pro tip: Caraway, not cumin, is the Tunisian signature — grind it fresh and the brochettes smell unmistakably of Tunis.
The story of Tunisian Kefta Brochettes
Tunisia's minced skewer runs hotter than its Maghrebi neighbours. Ground lamb or beef is seasoned with harissa, dried mint and caraway before grilling, and it is typically stuffed into a baguette or mlawi flatbread with fiery mechouia salad — a combination that would be too aggressive for a Moroccan palate and is exactly right for a Tunisian one.
Harissa and caraway are the two national markers. Tunisia is the most chilli-forward cuisine in North Africa, and caraway — tabil in the local usage — is used with a frequency that distinguishes Tunisian cooking from Algerian and Moroccan at a single taste. Both go into the kefta directly rather than being served alongside.
The technique that defines it
Harissa in the mince rather than on the plate is the technical decision that defines the dish, and it brings moisture and oil with it. That means the mixture needs slightly less added fat than a Moroccan kefta and must be kneaded well to compensate for the extra wetness, or it will not grip the skewer.
Dried mint rather than fresh is the Tunisian usage here, and it behaves differently — it is more concentrated, less bright, and it does not add moisture. Caraway is toasted and ground fresh. Grilling is fast over hot coals with one turn.
Choosing your ingredients
Lamb or beef at around 20 percent fat, minced with grated onion squeezed dry. Harissa — a proper Tunisian one, which is a paste of dried chillies, garlic, caraway and coriander rather than a generic hot sauce.
Dried mint, toasted caraway, ground coriander, garlic. Mlawi — the layered Tunisian flatbread — or a baguette, which is a genuine and common Tunisian bread choice. Salade mechouia, the grilled pepper and tomato salad, is the essential accompaniment.
Mistakes that ruin it
Using a generic hot sauce for harissa
Tunisian harissa is a paste of dried chilli, garlic, caraway and coriander. A generic chilli sauce gives heat without the aromatics.
Fresh mint instead of dried
Dried mint is the Tunisian usage and it is more concentrated and less watery. Fresh changes the character.
Not compensating for the harissa's moisture
It brings oil and water into the mix. Knead thoroughly and reduce any added fat slightly.
Skipping the caraway
Toasted caraway is a Tunisian signature. Without it the kefta could be from anywhere in the Maghreb.
How it is served
In a baguette or folded into mlawi with salade mechouia, harissa, olives, tuna and a hard-boiled egg in the full Tunisian sandwich treatment. Or straight off the skewer with bread and salad. Mint tea, or a Celtia beer.
Questions about Tunisian Kefta Brochettes
What makes Tunisian kefta different from Moroccan?
Harissa and caraway go into the mince rather than being served alongside, and dried mint replaces fresh. It is noticeably hotter.
What is mechouia salad?
A Tunisian salad of grilled peppers and tomatoes, chopped and dressed with olive oil, garlic and often tuna and egg. It is the standard partner for grilled meat.
What is tabil?
The Tunisian word used for caraway and for a coriander-caraway-garlic spice blend. It is one of the defining flavours of the cuisine.
Why is the mixture wetter than other keftas?
Harissa brings oil and moisture with it. Knead thoroughly and reduce any added fat to compensate.
