Syria

Kafta (Arabic hamburger)

Description:

This is the Arabic equivalent to the Hamburger, except tastier and healthier (Look at the ingredients). You will love this fun summer barbecue dish.

Ingredients:

3/4 pound ground lamb
1/2 cup onions chopped fine
3 clove garlic large, minced
1 teaspoon mint dried, or 3T fresh
1 teaspoon cumin ground
1/2 teaspoon coriander ground
1/2 cup parsley fresh chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 head lettuce
tomato chopped
yogurt plain, nonfat preferably
cucumber chopped
pita bread

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients. Using wet fingers roll into balls about the size of an egg. Thread a skewer through each meatball and mold the mixture into a long finger shape along the skewer. Grill or broil gently careful not to overcook so it will not be dry. Remove from skewers with Lebanese pita. Serve with, tomatoes, lettuce, yogurt on top of the Kafta as you wrap it all inside the Pita.

Best way to eat: buy soft pita bread (preferably thin, from Middle Eastern bakery/shop). Buy plain yogurt/nonfat. Cut a piece of bread from the pita so that you can roll the bread around the Kafta (as in a blanket). Add tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and a generous helping of yogurt on top of the Kafta and eat all together like you would eat a soft tortilla shell. Enjoy this summer dish