Egyptian Ground Fish Balls with Tomato and Cumin

Favored by Egyptian Jews as a prelude to holiday and Sabbath meals, this easy-to-prepare, well-seasoned alternative to gefilte fish requires no poaching in fish stock and can be made with any white-fleshed fish. The pungent cumin that flavors bellahat tastes like today, but it is an ancient spice, sold by the Hebrews in herb markets during biblical times, and used in their soups, stews, and breads.

Over the years, my daughter and I have tweaked this family favorite, based on a versi