To prepare the rice: Wash the rice and soak it for 1 hour. Drain the rice completely, then spread it on a towel to dry thoroughly. Grind it in a spice grinder until you have a coarse powder.

Use only the leaves from the fresh herbs; if you use the stems, the kofta may fall apart.

In a food processor or meat grinder, combine the ground beef, onion, herb leaves, and ground rice. Process 3 times until you have a very smooth, sticky dough. Wrap the kofta mixture in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a nonstick pot, heat some oil and add the tomato juice. Cook over low heat until it thickens.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper. In a nonstick pot, place the kofta on top of the sauce and cook over low heat until the sauce is well absorbed. Serve on a plate with rice with vermicelli or with salad.