Keftes, also known as Keftikes in Sephardic cuisine

Cuisine of the Sephardic Jews

The cuisine of the Sephardi Jews is an assortment of cooking traditions that developed among the Jews of Spain, Portugal, the Mediterranean and Arab countries. Mizrahi, who are sometimes called Sephardic Jews, are Jews of origins from countries of the Middle-East, respectively...

, may be any number of croquettes, pancakes, patties, or fritters containing a wide variety of ingredients, usually with some kind of vegetable. Sephardic keftes are not to be confused with the non-Jewish kofta

Kofta

Kofta is a Middle Eastern and South Asian meatball or meatloaf.In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced or ground meat—usually beef or lamb—mixed with spices and/or onions...

 which are meatballs. Keftes may or may not contain meat and often do not, as opposed to the kofta.

Some keftes are eaten especially on different holidays due to the ingredients or method of cooking which may be associated with that particular holiday.

Varieties

• Keftes de Carne - Ground beef meat patties
• Keftes de Espinaca/Spinaka - Made with spinach
• Keftes de Lentejas - Lentil patties
• Keftes de Gallina - Chicken patties
• Keftes de Patata kon Karne - Potato and meat patties
• Keftes de Pescado / Pescada / Pishkado - Croquettes made with fish and mashed potatoes.
• Keftikes de Poyo - Chicken croquettes
• Keftes de Prasa - Made with Leeks
• Keftes de Prasa y Carne or Keftes de Puero - Made with Leeksa and Meat

Rosh Hashana

Keftikes de Prassa or Keftes de Prasa y Carne are also known as Yehi Rasones or Yehi Ratsones (Hebrew: Yehi Rason means May it be Your Will). The leeks in this dish are a traditional symbolic food on Rosh Hashana because of the puns of the name of the food in Hebrew or Aramaic. Leeks or foods made with leeks are eaten during a special seder on Rosh Hashana as a demonstration of a particular wish to be God's will. The symbolism of the leeks is the pun of its name in Hebrew, karti, which is similar to yikartu, meaning to be cut off. The yehi rason of karti is a wish that the enemies of Jews will be "cut off".

Hanukkah

Keftes de Prasa especially, or any Kefte for that matter, are eaten at Hanukkah because they are fried. The Keftes de Prasa, which are made without meat, are pancake-like and are particularly suited to being oily as are most Hanukkah foods.

External links

• Cooking Light Leek and Potato Fritters with Lemon-Cumin Yogurt