Habibeh's Kufteh Tabrizi 🧅

Kufteh Tabrizi is one of the traditional and very well-known dishes of Tabriz, which is also popular throughout Iran.

It is a type of large meatball usually made with a mixture of ground meat, split peas, rice, aromatic herbs (such as leek, savory, and dried mint), eggs, and spices. The inside of the meatball is often stuffed with delicious ingredients like boiled eggs, dried plums (prunes), walnuts, fried onions, and sometimes raisins or barberries. These meatballs are shaped and cooked in a tasty tomato-based sauce made with onions and spices. They are typically served with bread or rice.

 

Kufteh Tabrizi (serves 4)

Ingredients:

For the Meatball Mixture:

• 500g ground beef or lamb (or a mix of both)
• 1 cup cooked split peas (mashed)
• 1/2 cup rice (parboiled)
• 1 medium onion (grated and juice
• squeezed)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon flour or chickpea flour (optional for binding)
• 2 tablespoons dried mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (parsley, savoury, tarragon optional)
• Salt, black pepper, turmeric to taste

For the Filling:

• 1-2 hard-boiled eggs (halved or whole)
• A few dried plums (prunes)
• A few walnut halves
• Fried onions (optional)
• A few raisins or barberries (optional)

For the Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 medium onion (sliced)
• 2-3 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 cups of water

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Sauce:

In a large pot, fry the sliced onion in oil until golden. Add turmeric and tomato paste and sauté for a minute. 

Add water, bring to a boil, and let it simmer while you prepare the meatballs

2. Make the Meatball Mixture:

In a large bowl, mix the ground meat, mashed split peas parboiled rice, grated onion, egg, flour, herbs, and spices. Knead the mixture well (around 10-15 minutes) until it becomes firm and sticky. This helps the meatball hold together.

3. Assemble the Kufteh:

Take a large portion of the mixture and flatten it in your hand. Place the fillings (egg, prunes, walnuts, etc.) in the centre. Carefully wrap the meat around the fillings and shape it into a large round ball. You can make one large kufteh or several medium ones.

4. Cook:

Gently place the kufteh into the simmering sauce. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Do not stir the pot in the beginning to avoid breaking the meatballs. Occasionally spoon some of the sauce over the kufteh to keep it moist.

5. Serve:

Serve hot with flatbread or rice

Garnish with extra fried onions or herbs if desired.

By Habibeh