All Green Shirazi Meatballs

Name: All Green Shirazi Meatballs (Kufteh-ye Sabzi-e Shirazi)
Prep time: 2 h 30 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 2 h 31 min
Yield: Makes 10 meatballs, serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 2 tablespoons dried tarragon; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 2 cups/480 g thick plain yogurt or labneh beaten with 2 cloves of grated garlic; ½ cup/40 g chopped fresh basil; 1 cup/200 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water with ½ teaspoon baking soda, drained, and rinsed, or 2 x 15 oz/425 g cans of chickpeas; 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; ½ cup/40 g chopped fresh dill weed; ½ cup/40 g chopped fresh parsley; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated; 2 teaspoons fine sea salt; 1 small onion, peeled, grated, and juice squeezed out; ½ cup/75 g raisins; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime); 2 tablespoons dried mint; ½ lb/225 g ground lamb or chicken; 1 medium onion, thinly sliced; ¼ cup/60 ml oil; 2 tablespoons barberries, cleaned; ½ cup/60 g coarsely chopped walnuts; 1 cup/200 g jasmine rice, soaked for 30 minutes, drained, and rinsed; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 tablespoons raisins; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 2 tablespoons oil; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; ½ teaspoon turmeric; 3 tablespoons jasmine rice, rinsed and drained; ½ cup/40 g chopped fresh mint or 3 tablespoons dried

Kufteh-ye Sabzi-e Shirazi

Preparation info

Makes 10 meatballs, serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
3 hr

Appears in

Cooking in Iran

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2020

About

I adapted this recipe from one by Farangis Shahab, our host and the mother of our guide. We cooked the meatballs in the broth on a stovetop, but I much prefer cooking them in the oven, as here.

Ingredients

meat paste

1 cup/200 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water with ½ teaspoon

Asia
Iran
Main course
Gluten-free

Method

For the paste: Place the chickpeas in a medium saucepan with 6 cups/1.4l water and cook over medium heat for 55 minutes. Drain (without rinsing) and set aside to allow to cool. (If using canned chickpeas, omit this step, drain and add in step 3).
Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine the rice and another 6 cups/1.4l water and cook for 10 minutes over high