Khoresh Kalleh Gonjeshki

Name: Khoresh Kalleh Gonjeshki (Petite Meatballs with Crispy Potatoes)
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) ground beef; 1 tablespoon dried mint; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 onion, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 tomatoes, diced; ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 cup (240 ml) water, plus more as needed; 3 large Yukon gold potatoes, cut french fry style; ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil; ½ teaspoon sea salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

Petite Meatballs with Crispy Potatoes

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Bitter & Sweet

By Omid Roustaei and Lauren Ko

Published 2025

About

The Persian name for these meatballs perfectly represents their small and delicate nature: kalleh gonjeshki translates to “little bird’s head.”

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

1 lb (450 g) ground beef
1 small onion, grated

Americas
Asia
Iran
United States
Persia
Gluten-free

Method

To make the meatballs, combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly and shape the mixture into small meatballs, about 1 tablespoon each.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and sauté the meatballs, turning and moving them a