Iraqi Kofta - Oven-Baked Meat Patties

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Meatball mix

1. 1
   Mix the ground meat with the onion, garlic, parsley, egg, breadcrumbs, cumin, paprika, baharat, salt and black pepper until evenly combined.
2. 2
   With wet hands, shape patties the size of Egg.

   💡Wet hands don't stick to the mixture, and the patties come out smooth and even.

To assemble

1. 3
   Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
2. 4
   In the baking dish, mix the tomato paste and stock. The sauce cooks in the oven with the dish.

   Baking pan
3. 5
   Nestle the meatballs in the sauce in the pan and drizzle the olive oil over them.

   Baking pan
4. 6
   Bake 30–35 minutes, until the meatballs are golden.

   ⚙ BakingOvenBaking pan

   💡Meatballs baked in the sauce cook in it from below and brown on top, with no frying and no flipping.

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
5. 7
   Serve with white rice.