North African Couscous Kefta (Printable)

Spiced meatballs cooked with vibrant vegetables and served on light couscous for a satisfying meal.

# What You Need:

→ Kefta (Meatballs)

01 - 1.1 lb ground beef or lamb
02 - 1 small onion, finely grated
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
05 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
06 - 1 tsp ground cumin
07 - 1 tsp ground coriander
08 - 1 tsp sweet paprika
09 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
11 - 1 tsp salt
12 - 1/2 tsp black pepper

→ Couscous

13 - 1 1/2 cups couscous
14 - 1 1/4 cups boiling water
15 - 1 tbsp olive oil
16 - 1/2 tsp salt

→ Vegetable Sauce

17 - 2 tbsp olive oil
18 - 1 large onion, sliced
19 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
20 - 2 zucchinis, sliced
21 - 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
22 - 2 tomatoes, diced
23 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
24 - 1 tsp ground cumin
25 - 1 tsp ground coriander
26 - 1/2 tsp turmeric
27 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
28 - 1/2 tsp paprika
29 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
30 - 3 cups vegetable or beef broth
31 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
32 - Fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish

# How-To Steps:

01 - Combine ground meat, grated onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly by hand and form into 20 to 24 walnut-sized meatballs.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced onion and cook until soft and golden, about 5 minutes.
03 - Add carrots, bell pepper, and zucchini to the pot and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Stir in diced tomatoes and minced garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, then blend in cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, and optional cayenne to evenly coat the vegetables.
05 - Pour in broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
06 - Gently nestle the prepared kefta into the simmering sauce. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, stirring gently halfway through until meatballs are cooked through and vegetables are tender.
07 - Place couscous, salt, and olive oil in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over, cover tightly, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
08 - Serve couscous on a platter or individual plates. Spoon kefta and vegetable sauce over the top and garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The kefta are impossibly tender because the grated onion breaks down the meat from the inside, keeping everything moist and spiced all the way through.
  • You're really making just one pot with vegetables that become the sauce, so cleanup is mercifully simple.
  • It smells so good while cooking that people will start asking what's for dinner before you even plate it.
02 -
  • Use your hands to mix the kefta, not a spoon or mixer—you can feel when it's just combined without overdoing it, which is the difference between tender meatballs and dense ones.
  • Don't skip the grating of fresh onion in the kefta mixture; it's not the same as using minced, and it's what keeps them moist inside.
  • If your meatballs are falling apart in the sauce, your mix probably had too much moisture or too little binding—next time, make sure your onion is well-grated and squeezed of excess liquid.
03 -
  • Toast your spices in a dry pan for 30 seconds before adding them to the sauce—it wakes them up and deepens their flavor significantly.
  • If your meatballs are sticking to the bottom of the pot, it usually means the heat is too high; turn it down to a bare simmer and they'll float freely in the sauce where they belong.
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