Kofta Potato Tray Bake

Spiced kofta, golden potato and tomato slices baked together in a rich tomato sauce until bubbling and tender.

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This family tray bake cooks evenly when the potatoes are given a head start and the kofta pieces are similar in size. A final uncovered bake concentrates the sauce and browns the edges.

Ingredients

• 900 g Minced beef or lamb (15 to 20 percent fat)
• 1 medium Onion (finely grated and squeezed dry)
• 40 g Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 3 Garlic cloves (crushed)
• 1.5 tsp Ground allspice
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 0.25 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp Fine salt (divided)
• 0.75 tsp Black pepper
• 900 g Potatoes (peeled and cut into 8 mm slices)
• 4 medium Ripe tomatoes (cut into 8 mm slices)
• 4 tbsp Olive oil (divided)
• 500 ml Passata
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 200 ml Hot water
• 0.5 tsp Aleppo pepper (optional)

Step-by-step method

1. Heat oven to 210°C conventional or 190°C fan. Toss potato slices with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and spread in a large baking dish.
2. Bake potatoes for 18 to 20 minutes until starting to soften and colour at the edges. They need this head start because tomatoes and sauce slow browning.
3. Mix mince, grated onion, parsley, garlic, allspice, cumin, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper only until combined. Overmixing makes kofta rubbery.
4. With damp hands form 18 equal short oval kofta. Wash hands and the work surface thoroughly after handling raw mince.
5. Whisk passata, tomato paste, hot water, remaining salt, optional Aleppo pepper and remaining oil. Arrange kofta among potatoes with tomato slices and pour sauce around, not over, the kofta.
6. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes until sauce bubbles, potatoes are tender to a knife and kofta centres reach at least 71°C. Rotate the dish once if the oven browns unevenly.
7. Rest for 8 minutes so the sauce settles, then spoon over the kofta. Serve with rice or bread, warning diners that the baking dish remains very hot.