Persian Koofteh Tabrizi

Giant meatballs filled with nuts and dried fruits

Koofteh Tabrizi Culinary Spice Blend:

Turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, rose petals, black pepper, cumin, mint

Indispensable Ingredients

1 lb ground meat (beef, lamb, or any other)
1 egg, 1-2 onions, tomato paste or puree or fresh tomatoes
parsley and/or other herbs (optional)

Suggested Sides

flatbread, cooked rice, couscous, or boiled potatoes
(lettuce) salad, radish, herbs, sautéed spinach,
or any other steamed or cooked vegetables that you prefer

Optional Recommended Ingredients

Special meatball ingredients:

1/3 cup yellow split peas
1 cup cooked rice (you can skip those for a more standard meatball version)

Optional filling or topping:

4 tbsp chopped nuts (walnuts)
1/3 cup dried fruits (cranberries)
1 egg (optional filling, if you like it)

Select Your Recipe - All Versions or just the Easiest 'The Breeze Way'

FAQ

What makes this meal special?

Our Persian advieh spice blend includes turmeric, cardamom, roses, and mint.
Nuts and dried fruits as filling or topping.
Split peas and rice are mixed with the meat.
The authentic meatballs are gigantic to allow for a filling. Their preparation takes a bit longer. We recommend this version for home chefs looking for a challenge.

How can I save time for the preparation?

Here are some suggestions to save preparation time:

Make the recipe when you have leftover rice.
Cook the rice and the lentils up to 3 days beforehand. Tip: Let it cook while you prepare a different dinner.

What is the easiest version?

There are plenty of ways to make the recipe easier while keeping the incredible flavor. In the order easy to easiest:

Skip the filling, and make standard size meatballs.
The Breeze Way:
Skip the split peas and rice.
Just reduce the herbs to 1 tbsp chopped herbs and add 2 tbsp breadcrumbs or almond meal.
Make your standard meatball-tomato sauce recipe and season it to taste with the Persian spice blend.

What can I do if I mess up?

If for any reason, your meatballs don’t hold the form or fall apart during cooking in the pot, you won’t loose any of the flavor. Just crumble them up to mix with the sauce and cook them shorter, about 15 minutes.