At our favorite shawarma shop on Strøget in Copenhagen, known as Shawarma #1 (presumably because the address is at #1, but also because it was the first shawarma shop in Copenhagen anno 1980), one of our favorite sandwiches is the kafta burger. When ordered, you must wait patiently while the patties grill for 10-15 minutes and frequently ask yourself “did they forget me?” In 20 years, they have never forgotten me, and the wait is always worthwhile.
Living in San Diego, we wanted a way to re-create our own version of the kafta burger. So, we created this recipe, which is a mix of several other recipes found online. We wanted our own unique blend of spices; More spicy, more parsley, and of course with fennel.
Kafta Recipe
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, grated
- 1 tsp Rajma Masala
- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper (less if you’re not fond of spicy stuff)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 3 minced cloves of garlic
- 1 1/2 cup of finely chopped parsley
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp salt
Mix all ingredients, and shape into burgers. Grill for 8-12 minutes on high until they are cooked all the way through and have grill marks. Yes, it’s that simple.
