In the past meat was not always plentiful or of good quality. To overcome these problems it was either ground or cut into small pieces and cooked with cereals and vegetables to absorb the nutrients and flavour of the juices and to make the meat go further.

Mixed spice is available in a Lebanese or Iranian grocery store. It is a mixture of allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cinnamon oil.

Kafta mixture is basically finely ground meat, made up of either lamb or beef.

Ingredients

• 2                  lbs finely ground beef or lamb 
• 1                  cup finely chopped parsley 
• 1                  tsp crushed garlic 
• 1                  tsp crushed ginger 
• 1                  tsp mixed spices 
• 1                  cup finely chopped onions 
• 2                  tsp salt 
• 1/2               tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and knead well.
2. With wet fingers, mould the kafta mixture into meat balls slightly larger than an egg. Thread a skewer through each meat ball and mould the meat into a finger shape along the skewers.
3. Gently barbecue or grill the meat, making sure not to overcook as it will dry out.
4. To serve: 
5. Remove the meat from the skewer with an open piece of Labanese bread, which are then left around the meat to make juicy sandwiches. The sandwiches are served with Yoghurt soup.
6. The kafta may be served without bread with a salad.