Tabriz-Style Meatballs

Name: Tabriz-Style Meatballs (Kufteh tabrizi)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 6 dried apricot halves; 1 cup (200 g) rice; 2 cups (400 g) yellow split peas or red lentils; 6 tablespoons dried barberries, rinsed, or cranberries; 6 tablespoons dried barberries, rinsed, or cranberries; 6 walnut pieces; 6 pitted dried prunes; ½ cup (75 g) rice flour; 1 pound (450 g) ground lamb (or beef, or chicken or turkey thighs); 1 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons rose water; 1 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons rose water; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 2 teaspoons sea salt; 1 large onion, peeled and grated; 2 cups (170 g) chopped fresh mint, or 2 tablespoons dried; 2 eggs; 2 cups (200 g) chopped spring onions; 1 cup (85 g) chopped fresh tarragon; 1 pound (450 g) ground lamb (or beef, or chicken or turkey thighs); 2 cups (170 g) chopped fresh summer savory, or 2 tablespoons dried; 1 pound (450 g) ground lamb (or beef, or chicken or turkey thighs); 1 pound (450 g) ground lamb (or beef, or chicken or turkey thighs); 2 tablespoons grape molasses or sugar; 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped; 3 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced; ¼ cup (60 ml) oil, (55 g) butter, or ghee*; ¼ cup (60 ml) oil, (55 g) butter, or ghee*

Kufteh tabrizi

Preparation info

Makes
6
servings

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
3 hr

Appears in

Food of Life

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2011

About

Ingredients

Filling

6 eggs (optional)
6 tablespoons dried barberries, rinsed, or cranberries
6

Asia
Iran
Supper
Main course
Southeast Asia
Gluten-free

Method

For the filling: Cook the eggs (hard-boiled), shell, and set aside.
For the meatballs: In a large saucepan, cook split peas and rice for 20 minutes in 6 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt. Drain and set aside to cool.
In a wide mixing bowl, combine onion, split peas and rice, salt, pepper, turmeric, saffron-rose water, rice flour, ground lamb, summer savo