Persian cooking: recipes · Dolmeh & kufteh: stuffed dishes

Kufteh Tabrizi کوفته تبریزی

Giant meatballs from Tabriz with rice, split peas and herbs, stuffed with egg, walnuts, barberries and dried fruit.

⏱ 150 min

Ingredients

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  • 250 g minced lamb or beef (with some fat)
  • 50 g basmati rice
  • 40 g yellow split peas
  • ½ onions
  • ½ bunch mixed herbs (parsley, coriander, dill, leek)
  • ½ eggs
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs
  • 20 g walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp barberries (zereshk)
  • 2 dried plums (aloo bokhara)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • salt (to taste)
  • black pepper (to taste)

Method

  1. Cook the rice and split peas until soft and let cool. Knead hard for 10 minutes with the mince, grated onion, herbs, raw egg, salt and pepper.
  2. Flatten a large portion, place a boiled egg, walnuts, barberries and a plum in it and close into a large ball.
  3. Fry an onion, add tomato paste, turmeric and 1.5 l water and bring to the boil. Carefully lower in the balls.
  4. Simmer half-covered over low heat for 1 hour. Serve with broth and bread.