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Main Ingredients
- 1 lb ground meat (beef, lamb, or any other)
- 1 egg
- 1-2 onions
- 2 tbsp tomato paste or
2 cups tomato puree or
2 fresh tomatoes - 1 tbsp chopped parsley
and/or other herbs (see notes, optional) - 2 tbsp breadcrumbs or almond meal
Special Ingredients
- 4 tbsp chopped nuts (walnuts, or your preferred ones)
- 1/3 cup dried fruits (cranberries, or see notes)
Suggested Sides
- flatbread, cooked rice, couscous, or boiled potatoes
- (lettuce) salad, radish, herbs (traditional)
- sautéed spinach,
or any other steamed or cooked vegetables that you prefer
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Persian Koofteh Tabrizi - The Breeze Way
The city of Tabriz in Northern Iran is the origin of these aromatic meatballs with Persian advieh seasoning. This is an easier version, where the nuts and dried fruits are not inside the standard sized meatballs but added as toppings.
Ingredients
Protein
- 1 lb ground beef see notes [*1] for substitutes
- 1 medium egg
Fresh Produce
- 2 onions (any type) 1 finely chopped, 1 halved and sliced
- 1 tbsp parsley (any type) see notes [*2] for alternatives
Packaged Goods/Staples
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs or almond meal
- 2 tbsp tomato paste see notes [*3] for substitutes
- salt
- oil
Koofteh Tabrizi Culinary Spice Kit
- Turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, rose petals, black pepper, cumin, mint see notes [*4] for alternatives
Option Toppings
- 4 tbsp chopped nuts of your choice walnuts recommended
- 1/2 cup dried fruits, chopped see notes [*5] for recommendations
Suggested Sides
- flatbread e.g. lavash or naan
- cooked rice
- boiled potatoes
- lettuce salad recommended with plenty of fresh herbs and radishes
- sautéed spinach
- steamed or cooked vegetables of your choice
Instructions
Mix the Meatball Ingredients
- In a large BOWL,
- crack 1 egg,
- add 1 onion (any type), finely chopped,
- 1 bunch parsley (any type) or optional herbs (see notes),
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs or almond meal,
- salt to taste,
- and half of the Koofteh Tabrizi spices (about 2 tsp). Mix well.
- Add 1 lb ground meat. Mix well.
- Form meatballs in the size of a golf ball.
Cook the Meatballs
- In a large POT, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat.
- Fry the remaining onions until they turn slightly brown.
- Add tomato paste & 2 cups of water [*4], half of the Koofteh Tabrizi spices (about 2 tsp), and salt to taste.
- Stir for about one minute.
- Cover. Bring to a boil.
- Add meatballs. Cover.
- Cook 30 minutes over low heat.
- Occasionally, scoop sauce over the meatballs.
Serve
- Serve meatballs with the sauce and your preferred sides.
- Optionally, sprinkle nuts and dried fruits over the plated meal.
Video
Notes
[*1] Substitute beef with lamb, veal, pork, or chicken.
[*2] Optionally, substitute some of the parsley with chives, cilantro, savory, tarragon.
[*3] Substitute tomato paste and the water for the cooking with 2 cups tomato puree.
Alternatively, substitute with 2 large fresh chopped tomatoes, and 1 cup of water. Add some water during cooking if necessary.
[*4] Alternative spice blend, simplified, that should be covered by your spice rack, though it will not have the same rich aroma:
2 tbsp turmeric,
1 tbsp cinnamon,
1 tsp each of cardamom and coriander
1/2 tsp each of black pepper, cumin, and mint powder
[*5] Recommended: barberries or cranberries.
Variations: apricot, mango, prunes, raisins, or a mix.