Kefta Wa LubIa

  Green beans, sauteed onions and juicy tomatoes make beautiful music as solitary notes of garlic and lemon juice ply us to the table. Yes, it's all healthy and hearty, but it's the crunchy squares of fried pita                              bread nestled in tangy labneh (yogurt) garnishing the top that sets my fork to tapping.

It's just fun to say - Kefta wa Lubia - and almost as easy to make. Its rich, biting seasonings represent the spice trademark of Arab meat dishes - Cinnamon and Allspice. This spice blend is what says "Mmmm..mmm Arab" to my mouth but wanting to keep everything in its appropriate place, we didn't appreciate its insidious conquest of western dishes in Arab countries. We were outraged when hamburgers spiked with these spices were served to us as western fare, horrified when the first Pizza Hut just down the street added cinnamon sprinklings to pepperoni pizza. The Marriott Hotel was the only one to remain true to the hamburger in Amman in our early days!

Importation is all well and good and we could accept it when Arabs took their version of chili, seasoned with cinnamon and allspice from the Chili House restaurant in Amman to Cincinnati and dubbed it as a new taste sensation, but when the Amman Fuddrucker's delicious meaty burgers evolved to something less so, with rice as a side dish instead of fries, we were ready to picket the establishment! Corporate was not far behind us, and the franchise was whisked away back to the U.S. where the fresh beef tasted of it in all its unseasoned purity.

This particular dish though is happily in the Arab domain and features tender meatballs (kefta), stewed in a green bean and onion tomato sauce with potatoes (batata) and garnished with parsley and a spritz of lemon, and rightly so, just a bit of cinnamon and allspice.

Middle Eastern Meatball stew with Green Beans & Potatoes

KEFTA (Meatballs) & LUBIA (Green Beans)

1 pound ground beef (or lamb)
3/4 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice salt and pepper to taste 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 medium (or 1 large) onion, peeled and thinly slivered 1/2 - 3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed of stems 1 1/2 cup beef stock or 11/2 cup water with 1 beef bouillon cube
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 large tomatoes, diced 1/3 cup tomato paste 2 red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes Salt and pepper to taste 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley 2 tablespoons lemon juice Sumac seasoning

3 loaves pita bread, cut into 1 inch squares
1/4 cup oil for frying

-Place ground beef (or lamb), diced onion, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper in food processor. Process mixture about 30 seconds until meat and onion are combined. Form mixture into 1 inch balls, about the size of walnuts.

-Heat the oil in a medium large skillet. Add slivered onions, meatballs and green beans. Cook over medium-high heat, turning meatballs gently to brown on all sides. 10 - 15 minutes.

-Add beef stock or water and bouillon cubes to skillet with tomato paste, diced tomatoes, garlic and potatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover and let mixture simmer over low heat until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove lid and continue to simmer 10 minutes to allow sauce to reduce.

--Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in another small skillet. Add pita bread squares and fry turning frequently until they are browned and golden. Set aside on paper towels.

-Stir parsley and lemon juice into stew and taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Serve stew warm or at room temperature, topped with thickened yogurt (Greek style) and garnished with pita croutons. Sprinkle generously with sumac.

-Serves 6 - 8. May be served over steamed white rice, if desired.

   Mix ground beef with diced onions in food processor until they are combined.  Form into 1 inch balls.

Saute meatballs, beans and onion, until softened, then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until                                                              potatoes are tender and sauce is reduced.

                                  Serve with a dollop of thick yogurt, croutons and sumac sprinkled on top.

                 A delicious, satisfying one-plate meal with all that good nutrition requires and discerning                                                                                               palates demand!

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

**Sumac is an indispensable seasoning, which comes from the red berries on the red sumac bush, that make Middle Eastern Foods sparkle. With it’s lemon, peppery flavor, it’s great on soups, salads and meat dishes and adds a dark red color for a notable contrast. (Don’t go picking your own sumac berries unless you know that particular variety is edible.) You can buy Ground Sumac in most grocery stores, in all Middle Eastern Groceries and online at: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ground+sumac&crid=2BSF2VS2BJZQC&sprefix=Ground+Sumac%2Caps%2C82&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_12

**In the Middle East, labneh is a thickened yogurt that is made from straining regular yogurt (laban), It is similar to Greek yogurt, though both regular yogurt and this thicker variety are used a lot in Jordanian and Middle Eastern recipes.