Directions

• Preheat your oven to 400°F.
• Add ground meat to a large bowl.
• In a small food processor, add the shallot, garlic, pine nuts, and parsley. Pulse until finely minced.
• Add the minced aromatics to the meat along with 2 tbsp tomato paste. Then season with 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp sumac, 1 tbsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp cayenne, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until everything is evenly combined. Don’t overwork it or the kaftas get tough.
• Divide and shape into oval logs, about 2 oz each. You should get around 18 kaftas. A small cookie scoop helps if you want them all the same size.
• Place the kaftas on a sheet pan with a little space between them. Add the cherry tomatoes and onion wedges around them. Cut the onion into wedges so it cooks faster and gets some char on the edges. Drizzle everything with olive oil and season with salt.
• Bake at 400°F for 28–30 minutes, until the kaftas are cooked through and the veggies are roasted with some color on them.
• While that’s in the oven, make the yogurt sauce. Mix 1 cup plain yogurt with 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley, 1 minced garlic clove, a squeeze of lemon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper. Taste it. Adjust the lemon or salt.