Rice kofta is an Egyptian dish made with ground meat, cilantro, crushed rice, parsley, dill and cooked in a flavourful and well-seasoned tomato sauce. This dish usually serves with white rice or pasta.
Making the rice kofta: Wash the rice well, then soak in the water for 30 minutes, drain, then put in the food processor and beat until crushed, add the meat and all other ingredients, beat until combined and have a soft mixture.
Frying the kofta: Now, use your hands to shape the kofta for medium-sized balls or fingers, and deep fry them until they become brown and crunchy. Strain well, then set aside.
Preparing the sauce: Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat, then add the minced garlic, saute for 20 seconds, after that add tomato sauce, salt, black pepper, tomato paste, stock cube, sugar and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, add the fried kofta to the tomato sauce mixture, and simmer together for 15-20 minutes.
Garnish with some chopped parsley and serve with white rice.
Notes
The rice to meat ratio is very important; for every one kilo of meat, I use 1 cup of rice. Using the wrong ratio of both ingredients will loosen the kofta and make it tends to break.
I recommend using short-grain rice because it gives a better texture.
Feel free to use any oil you prefer to fry the koftas.
Bind all the ingredients properly while making the koftas so they do not break while frying.