Mafrum

Mafrum is thick potato slices cut into a pocket, filled with ground beef and herbs, fried in a coat of flour and egg and then simmered slowly in a red sauce. It is the flagship of the Tripolitan Jewish kitchen, a dish for Friday night and the holidays, and it is usually served over couscous.

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MafrumIllustration
Time2 h 15 minCook 1 h 15 min · + Soak 30 min
Amount8 portions3.2 kg
Per portion681 kcal24.6 g protein · a 400 g portion
Cost of the pot₪58for the pot, about ₪7.3 a bowl

The story of Mafrum

Mafrum belongs to the Jews of Libya, and above all to the community of Tripoli. The name comes from Arabic and means minced, after the meat in the filling. In a Tripolitan home it was made for Friday and the holidays, next to chraime and couscous, and it is a dish that needs a practised hand: a slice too thin breaks, a filling too lean dries out, and a sauce not cooked long enough stays sharp.

Most Libyan Jews came to Israel in the early 1950s, and mafrum came with them to towns and villages across the country. Here Jews from Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt adopted it too, each with a small change, and today it is one of Israel's favourite stuffed dishes, in versions with aubergine, cauliflower and even baked in the oven. Another Libyan community, which settled in Rome after 1967, brought it into the city's Jewish kitchen as well.

What makes Mafrum itself

The secret of mafrum is the engineering of the pocket. Each potato is sliced lengthwise into 2 cm slabs and each slab is cut down the middle almost to the end, leaving a pocket with a closed bottom. The meat is pressed in, the flour and egg seal the opening in the fryer, and the sauce of tomato paste with paprika, cumin and caraway soaks into the potato during the long simmer. The result has three layers: a soft coat full of sauce, melting potato and a juicy filling.

Mafrum for any number of people

Change the number of people and the portion size, and every ingredient updates in grams, with the cost, calories and protein per portion.

Portion size
Units
3.2kg of food
4Pot to use, litres
₪58Cost of the pot
₪7.3per portion
681kcal per portion
24.7g protein per portion
IngredientAmountCost
The potatoes
Large, long, firm potatoes, peeled1.5 kg · 6 pcs₪8.9
Water for soaking2 kg
Salt for the soaking water5 g₪0.0
Coating and frying
Plain flour120 g₪0.7
Eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt200 g · 4 pcs₪4.8
Canola oil for frying (the amount absorbed; the pan needs about 700 ml)150 g₪2.2
The red sauce
Canola oil30 g₪0.5
Onion, thinly sliced200 g · 1 pcs₪1.2
Garlic cloves, sliced20 g · 6 pcs₪0.7
Tomato paste140 g₪4.9
Sweet paprika10 g₪0.9
Hot paprika2 g₪0.2
Ground cumin3 g₪0.3
Ground caraway2 g₪0.2
Sugar5 g₪0.0
Salt6 g₪0.0
Black pepper1 g₪0.1
Water700 g
The filling
Ground beef, not too lean600 g₪27
Onion, grated and lightly squeezed100 g · 1 pcs₪0.6
Parsley, finely chopped30 g₪1.5
Coriander, finely chopped15 g₪0.7
Garlic, crushed10 g · 3 pcs₪0.4
Egg50 g · 1 pcs₪1.2
Breadcrumbs25 g₪0.3
Cinnamon1 g₪0.1
Ground cumin2 g₪0.2
Black pepper2 g₪0.3
Salt8 g₪0.0
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Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026. Nutrition from the ingredients in grams, before cooking.

How many calories in Mafrum? Nutrition facts and calorie calculator

Change the amount of any ingredient, drop one, or pick a lighter version, and the numbers per serving update at once: calories, fat, carbs, protein, sodium and fibre.

Mafrum has 170 calories per 100 g. A 400 g serving made with our recipe has 681 calories: 24.7 g protein, 39.1 g fat and 56.6 g carbohydrates.

Lighter

Ingredients, for the whole recipe

  • 6 pcs144 kcal per serving
  • 5 g0 kcal per serving
  • 120 g55 kcal per serving
  • 4 pcs36 kcal per serving
  • 150 ml152 kcal per serving
  • 30 ml30 kcal per serving
  • 1 pcs10 kcal per serving
  • 6 pcs4 kcal per serving
  • 140 g24 kcal per serving
  • 10 g4 kcal per serving
  • 2 g1 kcal per serving
  • 3 g1 kcal per serving
  • 2 g1 kcal per serving
  • 5 g2 kcal per serving
  • 6 g0 kcal per serving
  • 1 g0 kcal per serving
  • 600 g185 kcal per serving
  • 1 pcs5 kcal per serving
  • 30 g1 kcal per serving
  • 15 g0 kcal per serving
  • 3 pcs2 kcal per serving
  • 1 pcs9 kcal per serving
  • 25 g11 kcal per serving
  • 1 g0 kcal per serving
  • 2 g1 kcal per serving
  • 2 g1 kcal per serving
  • 8 g0 kcal per serving

What each add-on adds to Mafrum

Values for the amount in the row, from the national food database.

Add-onCaloriesProtein, gFat, g
One large egg837.35.5
A tablespoon of oil122013.8

How to make Mafrum

In cook mode the screen stays on, tap a step when it is done, and the timers run next to each step.
  1. Cutting: slice each potato lengthwise into 2 cm slabs, about 4 from each. Cut each slab down the middle lengthwise, almost to the end, leaving 1 cm closed at the bottom. Soak in the water with the salt for 30 minutes.
  2. Filling: knead all the filling ingredients for 2 minutes, until sticky and even. Divide into 24 balls of 35 g and chill.
  3. Sauce: in a wide pot or a deep 30 cm pan fry the onion in the oil for 8 minutes until golden. Add the garlic for a minute and the spices for 30 seconds, then the tomato paste and fry for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the water, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Dry the slices well with a towel. Dust a little flour inside each pocket, open it gently, press in a flattened ball of meat and level it so the meat sits flush with the potato.
  5. Heat 2 cm of oil in a pan to 175°C. Dip each mafrum in flour, shake off the excess, then in egg.
  6. Fry in batches, 3 minutes per side, until reddish gold. Do not crowd the pan. Drain on a rack.
  7. Arrange the mafrum in the sauce in a single layer. The sauce should reach three quarters of their height; top up with hot water if needed.
  8. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook over low heat for 45 minutes, spooning sauce over them halfway. The potato is ready when a knife slides in without resistance. Or cook in the oven at 170°C for an hour, covered.
  9. Uncover for the last 10 minutes so the sauce thickens.
  10. Turn off the heat and rest for 10 minutes. Serve 3 pieces a portion, over couscous or with rice, with plenty of sauce.

The science of Mafrum

Kitchen science

Why mafrum slices are soaked

Soaking in salted water washes free starch off the surface, so the slices do not stick together or brown too fast in the fryer. The salt draws a little water out of the cells by osmosis, and the potato becomes slightly flexible, so the pocket opens without cracking.

Kitchen science

What the flour and egg do

Flour dries the surface and gives the egg something to grip. Egg proteins set between 62 and 70°C and form a crust that locks the filling into the pocket. In the sauce that crust absorbs liquid, and the starch from the flour thickens the sauce a little.

Kitchen science

The frying temperature

At 170 to 180°C the coating turns golden within 3 minutes, and the steam escaping from it keeps the oil from soaking in. In cooler oil the coat absorbs oil before it seals, and in oil that is too hot it browns before the egg sets. The potato does not need to cook in the fryer; it finishes in the sauce.

Kitchen science

Why potato softens slowly in the sauce

Potato softens when the pectin gluing its cell walls together breaks down with heat. In tomato sauce, which is acidic, that breakdown is much slower than in water, so potato in red sauce needs more time. Hence the 45 minute simmer over low heat, and slices of 2 cm and no thicker.

Kitchen science

Ground meat and safety

Ground beef needs to reach 71°C at its centre. In the short fry it only starts to cook, and in 45 minutes of simmering sauce it passes that temperature by far. Cooked mafrum should not stay at room temperature for more than two hours.

Mafrum in every kitchen

Classic Tripolitan

Potatoes stuffed with beef, parsley, coriander and cinnamon, fried in flour and egg and simmered in a sauce of tomato paste, paprika and garlic. Served over couscous with the sauce.

Aubergine mafrum

Thick aubergine slices in place of potato, cut into a pocket the same way. Aubergine is softer and takes in the sauce quickly, so it cooks for less time, about 30 minutes.

Cauliflower mafrum

An Israeli version: large cauliflower florets, lightly blanched, filled with meat between the branches, coated and fried. Handy for small sizes and hosting trays.

For Passover

The breadcrumbs in the filling and the flour for coating are replaced with matzo meal, so mafrum suits the Seder in homes that eat matzo meal on Passover.

Baked, without frying

Brush the stuffed slices with oil and bake at 200°C for 25 minutes, turning halfway, then move them to the sauce. The coat is less crisp, and the work is quicker and cleaner.

Common Mafrum problems and how to fix them

The filling falls out of the mafrum when frying

The pocket was overfilled or not floured. Dust flour inside the pocket before filling, flatten the ball of meat and press it in so it does not bulge. A full coat of flour and egg seals the opening.

The coating comes away from the mafrum

The slices were not dried, the flour was too thick or the oil was cold. Dry well with a towel, shake off excess flour before the egg, and wait for the oil to reach 175°C before the first batch.

The potatoes in my mafrum stayed hard

The acidic sauce slows the softening, or the slices were too thick. Add a little water, cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes more over low heat, or move the pan to a 170°C oven.

The mafrum came out greasy

The oil was not hot enough or the pan was crowded and the temperature dropped. Fry 4 or 5 pieces at a time and drain on a rack, not a plate, so the oil drips away.

The slice breaks when I open the pocket

The potato is too floury, the slice too thin, or it was not soaked. Choose firm potatoes, slice 2 cm, soak for 30 minutes and open the pocket with your fingers, not a knife.

Storing, freezing and reheating

3 days

In the fridge

3 months, fried before the sauce or cooked in the sauce

In the freezer

2+4

To cool

Bring it from 60 to 21 °C within two hours and down to 5 °C within four more. Split a big pot into shallow boxes.

75 °C

Reheating

Reheat in a covered pot over low heat with half a cup of water for 20 minutes without stirring, or in the oven at 160°C, covered. Reheat frozen mafrum straight from the freezer and add 15 minutes.

Nutrition of Mafrum

From our recipe, per bowl and per 100 g, next to the national food database.

ServingkcalProtein, gFat, gCarbs, gFibre, g
Our recipe, a 400 g portion68124.639.156.67.1
Our recipe, 100 g1706.29.814.21.8

What the ingredients of Mafrum cost

What each ingredient costs in one pot, and where to buy it.

IngredientPriceIn this potWhere to buy
Ground beef, not too lean₪46 per kg₪27Supermarket
Large, long, firm potatoes, peeled₪5.9 per kg₪8.9Greengrocer
Eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt₪1.4 each₪6Supermarket
Tomato paste₪35 per kg₪4.9Supermarket
Canola oil for frying (the amount absorbed; the pan needs about 700 ml)₪15 per litre₪2.7Supermarket
Onion, thinly sliced₪5.9 per kg₪1.8Greengrocer
Parsley, finely chopped₪4.9 each₪1.5Greengrocer
Garlic cloves, sliced₪34 per kg₪1Greengrocer
Sweet paprika₪86 per kg₪0.9Supermarket
Coriander, finely chopped₪4.9 each₪0.7Greengrocer
Plain flour₪5.9 per kg₪0.7Supermarket
Ground cumin₪86 per kg₪0.4Supermarket
Black pepper₪139 per kg₪0.4Supermarket
Breadcrumbs₪14 per kg₪0.3Supermarket
Hot paprika₪86 per kg₪0.2Supermarket
Ground caraway₪75 per kg₪0.1Spice shop
Cinnamon₪140 per kg₪0.1Supermarket
Salt for the soaking water₪2.1 per kg₪0Supermarket
Sugar₪5.5 per kg₪0Supermarket

Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026, VAT included. Vegetable prices change with the season.

Mafrum and its culture

In a Tripolitan home the Friday night table opens with spicy salads and chraime and goes on to couscous with mafrum and its sauce. The preparation is long, so in many families it is a team effort: one slices, one fills and one fries, and the first mafrum vanish before the pot reaches the table. On the holidays the quantities double.

Outside Israel mafrum lives on in Rome, where Libyan Jews settled, and in Libyan Jewish communities that keep it as a holiday dish. In Israel it crossed community lines long ago: it appears at weddings, bar mitzvahs and Friday dinners of families with no Libyan roots at all, and it is ordered in large quantities precisely because making it at home takes so long.

Make Mafrum a meal

Shabbat

Ready Shabbat food

Soup, hamin, mains and sides, with a quantity calculator and prices.

Plan Shabbat
Hosting

Hosting trays

9 trays to go with the soup, with a planner by number of guests.

Tray planner
Events

Catering

A whole menu in grams per guest, with a reheating table.

Menus

What to serve with Mafrum

Serve over couscous with plenty of sauce, with a chopped vegetable salad, a spicy carrot salad or chirshi, the hot pumpkin spread of the Libyan kitchen.

The cuisine behind Mafrum

Libyan

Libyan cuisine

Mafrum belongs to the Jews of Libya, and above all to the community of Tripoli. The name comes from Arabic and means minced, after the meat…

Libyan cuisine

Mafrum in large quantities: events, offices and communities

How much of everything by number of guests, at a 400 g portion. For trays, catering and community kitchens.

Guestskg of food3 kg traysCost of ingredients
25104₪182
50207₪364
1004014₪728
2008027₪1,456
50020067₪3,641

Every ingredient for any number of guests is in the calculator above: type the number of people.

Order Mafrum

A ready pot for Shabbat, an event or the office, ordered ahead.

  • Cooked to order, for Shabbat, an event or the office.
  • Tell us how many people and when, and we send a quote.
  • Delivery in Tel Aviv from ₪35, free over ₪750.
Ask for a quote for Mafrum

Order Mafrum for a large event

Large orders in Israel and abroad: events, offices, synagogues, communities and institutions.

  • In Israel: cooked in Tel Aviv and delivered to events in the area, and to large events anywhere in the country on a quote.
  • Abroad: for communities, events and restaurants. Tell us where, how many and when, and we come back with a quote and options.
  • Institutional quantities and a shopping list for any number of guests, in the calculator above.
Ask for a large-order quote

Frequently asked questions

What is mafrum?

A Libyan Jewish dish: potato slices stuffed with ground beef and herbs, fried in flour and egg and simmered in tomato sauce. The name means minced in Arabic, and it is usually served over couscous.

Which potatoes are best for mafrum?

Large, long, firm potatoes such as Desiree, which hold their shape through a long simmer. A very floury potato cracks when you open the pocket and falls apart in the sauce.

Can mafrum be made without frying?

Yes. Brush the stuffed slices with oil and bake at 200°C for 25 minutes, turning halfway, then simmer in the sauce for 40 minutes. The coat is less crisp and takes in less sauce, but the flavour stays.

How do I make mafrum kosher for Passover?

Replace the breadcrumbs in the filling and the flour for coating with matzo meal, and check that the spices and tomato paste are certified for Passover. The method itself does not change.

Can mafrum be frozen?

Yes, for up to 3 months. It is best frozen after frying and simmered in fresh sauce on the day, but mafrum cooked in its sauce also freezes well.

What do you serve with mafrum?

Over couscous, as in a Libyan home, or with white or red rice. Alongside, a vegetable salad and chirshi, with the sauce in a separate bowl for anyone who wants more.

How much mafrum do I need for 40 people?

When mafrum is the main dish allow 3 pieces per person, so 120 pieces, and on a table with other mains 2 pieces each. 120 pieces is about 5 pots like this recipe, which is why for events people order or start a day ahead.

How many calories are in Mafrum?

A 400 g portion of Mafrum made with our recipe has about 681 calories and 24.6 g of protein. Per 100 g: 170 calories.

How much does it cost to make Mafrum at home?

A tray or pot of 8 portions costs about ₪58 at Israeli shelf prices in October 2026, about ₪7.3 a portion. The calculator above works it out for any number of people.

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