Chickpea Meatballs in Aromatic Tomato Sauce

Name: Chickpea Meatballs in Aromatic Tomato Sauce (Kufteh-ye Ghermez-e Nokhodchi-e Esfahani)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: Serves: 4
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon dried mint; ½ lb/225 g ground lamb, ground chicken thigh meat, or fish fillets (all small bones removed); ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper; ½ cup/50 g chickpea flour; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 small onion, peeled and quartered; Sprigs of fresh thyme leaves; ¼ cup/60 ml oil; 1 medium onion, peeled and thickly sliced; 1 tablespoon dried mint; ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper; ½ teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; ¼ cup/60 ml warm water; 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt; 2 cups/400 g peeled tomato puree (about 2 large tomatoes), or canned peeled tomatoes; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 dried bay leaves; ½ teaspoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 tablespoon ground cumin

Kufteh-ye Ghermez-e Nokhodchi-e Esfahani

Preparation info

Serves:
4

Difficulty
Complex
Ready in
3 hr

Appears in

Cooking in Iran

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2020

About

Khanum Kuchick in Isfahan inspired me to make this recipe. I particularly like its many layers of taste and the unexpected flavor of the meatballs.

Ingredients

Paste

1 small onion, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon

Asia
Iran
Main course
Gluten-free

Method

For the paste: In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs except the lamb, chickpea flour, and and water, and pulse until you have a grainy paste. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add the lamb, and knead lightly with one hand.
Gradually add the chickpea flour, while kneading. Add the warm water and continue to knead until you have a