My kofta and potato stew is comforting, quick and comes together in one pot. It’s a classic middle eastern dish that is simple yet deeply flavourful because it all cooks in one pot. Tender, juicy kofta are seared until golden, then simmered with potatoes in a rich tomato-based broth. The result is a hearty, saucy stew perfect to spoon over rice. It’s a weekly staple for our family!

A skillet filled with oval-shaped meat patties and sliced potatoes cooked in a red tomato sauce, garnished with chopped herbs. The dish is on a light blue surface next to a plate of fresh herbs and a glass of water.

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The One Pot Method – Weeknight Friendly Edition

This dish is based on a traditional recipe typically made with more ingredients, but over the years, I’ve stripped it back to the core basics: kofta, potatoes, a delicious sauce. All in one skillet.

And it works! It is a dish I can whip up in 15-20 minutes of hands on time and have simmering and ready to go under an hour. This dish typically involves baking everything but through testing, I found that stovetop one pot version is the most streamlined and still comes out cozy and wonderful.

If you want to bulk it up more, I make a similar meatball stew with peas and a few more spices that will be worth trying. I’ve also made this one with frozen, raw kofta meatballs and it comes together even faster.

My Streamlined Process

Grab all of your ingredients. The best tip I can give is to blitz the onions, parsley and garlic in a small food processor which saves you from having to finely chop them all.

Once your kofta mixture is ready, shape them into small logs, roughly 2 inches long. This size will make about 22-24 pieces, but you can easily roll them into meatballs too.

Raw, seasoned ground meat shaped into logs is cooking in a shallow white pan with some oil. The pan sits on a stovetop in front of a gray subway tile backsplash.
Sear the kofta!
A white pan with golden handles contains several browned, oval-shaped pieces of ground meat cooking on a stovetop, with a gray tile backsplash in the background. A pair of metal tongs rests on the pan’s edge.
Once they are lightly golden and browned, remove and set aside.
Sliced yellow potatoes on a wooden cutting board with a large knife nearby. Some potato pieces are whole, while others are cut into thin, semi-circular slices.
Slice the potatoes into half moons, not more than 1/4 inch thick. If they’re too thick, they need longer to cook.
A person uses a wooden spatula to stir tomato paste in a white skillet with oil and browned bits on the stove, with a gray tile backsplash in the background.
To the same skillet, cook the tomato paste for a few seconds to build flavour.
A round pan on a stovetop filled with browned oval-shaped meat patties and yellow potato wedges arranged in alternating sections, ready to be cooked, with a gray subway tile backsplash in the background.
Arrange the kofta back into the skillet in a circular pattern, and nestle in the potato slices.
A lidded pan on a stove contains simmering meat patties, sliced potatoes, and carrots in a reddish broth. The background shows a gray tiled backsplash and a white countertop.
Add the chicken broth and salt, then cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are soft and sauce has thickened.
A pan filled with oval-shaped meatballs and sliced potatoes in a rich tomato sauce, garnished with chopped fresh herbs.

Garnish with a sprinkling of parsley for some added colour and serve over steaming vermicelli rice or basmati rice.

If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page – I’d love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!

A skillet filled with oval-shaped meat patties and sliced potatoes cooked in a red tomato sauce, garnished with chopped herbs. The dish is on a light blue surface next to a plate of fresh herbs and a glass of water.
5 from 8 ratings

One Pot Kofta and Potato Stew

Yield: 5 Servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
This kofta and potato stew is comforting, quick and comes together in one pot. It's a classic middle eastern dish that is simple yet deeply flavourful and perfect for weeknights. Tender, juicy kofta are seared until golden, then simmered with potatoes in a rich tomato-based broth. The result is a hearty, saucy stew perfect to spoon over rice. It's a weekly staple for our family!
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Ingredients
 

For the Kofta:

  • 900 g lean ground beef
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 yellow onion, quartered
  • 1 cup parsley
  • 2 teaspoons seven spice
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, dry
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the Sauce and Potatoes:

  • 4 yellow potatoes, peeled, small
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chicken broth, or 1 chicken cube dissolved in 2 cups water

Instructions
 

For the Kofta

  • In a small food processor, add the 1 yellow onion, 1 cup parsley, and 4 garlic cloves. Blitz until finely chopped. Add them to a medium sized bowl along with the 900 g lean ground beef, 2 teaspoons seven spice, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. Mix well using your hands until the mixture is homogenous.
  • Shape the kofta into small logs, roughly 2 inches long. The mixture should make about 22-24 koftas.

For the Sauce and the Potatoes

  • Prepare the 4 yellow potatoes by slicing them into 1/4 inch half moon slices. It's important you don't slice them too thick or they will need longer to soften.
  • In a large skillet that is at least 2 inches deep, on medium heat, add the 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and heat it. Sear the kofta for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden and browned. Work in batches if required. Remove and set aside.
  • While the skillet is still on the heat, add the 3 tablespoons tomato paste and cook to caramelize it for a few seconds. Then, arrange the kofta in the skillet in a circular pattern. Nestle the potato slices in between the kofta, squeezing them all in as best as you can. If you don't care much for how it looks, you can just dump the potatoes and kofta in randomly.
  • Add the 2 cups chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer on medium low heat for 20 to 30 minutes. You'll know its ready when the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly. Serve over rice or with bread.

Notes

  • If you want the recipe to cook in the quickest time, make sure the potato slices are not too thick. The kofta actually doesn’t need long to cook (since it was already seared). 
  • You may need to adjust the salt based on the salt quantity in the chicken broth you are using.
Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 452kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 45g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 113mg, Sodium: 1582mg, Potassium: 1462mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1463IU, Vitamin C: 50mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 7mg
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