kefta كفتة
Algerian Darja · noun
“kefta” (كفتة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning seasoned minced meat.
Meanings
- seasoned minced meat
- meatballs
- almond-paste pastry
Usage
Kefta refers to spiced minced meat used as a stuffing, for example for dolma, or shaped into meatballs, fried or cooked in a sauce. "Kefta ta3 louz" refers to a pastry made with almond paste, served at festivals. Note: in Algeria the word refers first to the preparation itself. Colloquially, "ydirouk kefta" means "they're going to turn you into mush."
Example
يما دارت الدولمة بالكفتة
yemma darat ddolma bel kefta
“Mum made the dolma with minced meat.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kefta” but also “kafta”, “kofta” and “kfta”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “kefta” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “minced meat”; “meatballs or minced-meat skewers”: kefta in Moroccan.