Moroccan Style Kufta in Tomato Sauce

This is a recipe from Melanie/Melanie’s host family here in Rabat. It’s pretty easy, and makes a delicious, warm and hearty meal.

Ingredients:
Kufta balls:
1 # ground beef
1 tsp cumin
1/2-1 tsp tahmiira (Moroccan mild pepper powder, a bit different but replaceable with a mix of mild paprika and cayeanne)
2 Tbsps minced Italian parsley
Salt
Pepper

Sauce:
3-4 medium tomatoes, skinned and seeded, diced (this is how tomatoes are usually prepared for Moroccan recipes, whether cooked or salads)
1/2 tsp tahmiira
1/2 tsp cumin
3 Tbsps minced Italian parsley
Salt
Pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp salad oil

Steps:

Before starting on the kufta, get the sauce cooking in a large skillet. Heat the oil on medium heat, then add the tomatoes. When the tomatoes start releasing their juice, add the spices, then turn it down to a simmer.

While the sauce is simmering, combine the ingredients for the kufta, then form into balls about 1″ in diameter.

When the tomatoes have cooked down, you can either continue cooking in a skillet, adding the kufta balls to the sauce, or you can shift everything to a pressure cooker. Either simmer until the kufta balls are cooked through, or pressure cook for about 15 minutes (everything’s cooked in pressure cookers here, it’s the secret to tajine). Eat with good bread that will absorb the sauce, preferably Moroccan round loaves of bread.