Villa Jerada Kefta Rub

50gr jar - Morocco

When you first open the jar and go for a pinch, the first thing you will notice is the silky smooth feel between your thumb and forefinger. Wow!

This incredibly fine grind is amazing! Understand it is not a powder like so many commercial spice blends.

This Kefta has texture and feels fabulous. And the “whiff” is wonderfully effervescent. This Moroccan spice blend is smooth and distinct, complex and simple all at the same time. Though initially, the aroma is “recognizable” with cumin leading the “flavor,” it shares the olfactory epithelium with the other spices for a perfect balance.

We couldn’t wait to fire up the grill (we did) and top our chicken with this very special Moroccan spice rub!

Adding olive oil, salt, a little lemon juice, Ras el Hanout, and Kefta Rub, and we had a party! We can’t wait to rub it on everything this summer!

Named koofteh (kofta) by the Persians, the root of kefta, which means literally “pummeled meat.”

Kofta is most commonly used as a description for a minced meat “dish” - a meatball. Known as “kefta,” it found its way to Morocco from Persia via every country that separates the two, including Morocco, Turkey, Lebanon, and of course Persia. Each with their own distinct versions of kefta.

Not just any meatball like we have in the West, this “fist”-sized full-flavored dish is most often served with a yogurt sauce to contrast the spices.

The act of “pummeling,” working the meat so that the proteins break down and the lamb, onion, garlic, salt, and the spices bind together. Do not include any flour or filler as they are not used in an authentic dish.

Kefta Rub with roots in Casablanca:

This Kefta recipe is from Mehdi’s great Uncle, one of Casablanca’s finest butchers. This “Moroccan” version of Kefta is inspired by local cuisine and includes cumin, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, mint; hazelnut was in the original recipe but has been omitted for allergy reasons.

But you don’t need to just make Kefta the dish, it works wonderfully in shakshuka, or as a marinade for gulf prawns with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, parsley & cilantro. Even add it to a tomato sauce, that's how versatile this spice mix is!

Find other Villa Jerada products here