Persian Meatballs with Rice and Raisins - Koofteh Berenji
Koofteh Berenji are Persian meatballs that are tender and mixed with an assortment of fresh herbs and rice, stuffed with raisins, and simmered in a simple tomato broth.
Servings 8
Calories 276kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground meat
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh tarragon
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh parsley
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh mint
- 1 green onion finely chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped onions divided
- ¼ cup rice flour or chick pea flour
- ¾ cup of cooked basmati rice
- ½ cup cooked yellow split peas
- 3 teaspoon ground turmeric divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt divided
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper divided
- ½ cup Sun-Maid Raisins
- 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 2 TBS tomato paste
- 3 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- If you haven’t already, cook both the rice and lentils in separate pots. Once done, drain and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Clean, stem, and wash the herbs. Run them through a salad spinner to dry.
- Chop herbs in food processor and set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl massage meat with your hands until soft.
- Mix in 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoon turmeric and ½ cup chopped onions.
- Add flour into the meat mixture and work through the meat.
- Once combined, add herbs into the meat and carefully massage into the meat.
- Lastly, add rice, split peas and green onions into the meat mixture and combine until all ingredients are incorporated evenly.
- Divide meat into 6-8 even portions. Koofteh are large meatballs, so do not be alarmed at the size.
- Roll each portion into a ball and set aside.
- Using your finger, press a hole into the center of each meatball making a well. Fill the well with approximately 1 tablespoon of raisins.
- Close up the meatball and roll until smooth. Stuff all the meatballs in this fashion and set aside.
- To make the tomato broth heat a large Dutch oven over high heat and add olive oil.
- Add ½ cup chopped onions and sauté until softens, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium stir in 1 teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Stir in tomato paste and broth. Whisk the mixture until the tomato paste is incorporated into the broth.
- Bring broth to boil then carefully place meatball into the soup.
- Reduce heat to low, cover pot and cook for about 45 minutes until meatballs are done.
- About halfway through, turn meatballs over and continue cooking.
- Serve with fresh herbs, radishes and lavash bread.
Video
Notes
The filling of the meatball can vary to include other dried fruits like apricots, prunes sour cherries, as well as nuts and caramelized onions. Some even put a hard boiled egg inside! The soup broth itself can also include simmered potatoes and carrots, making it an even hardier dish.
We like to serve our koofteh with fresh herbs (sabzi khordan), radishes and lavaash bread. Little bite sized pieces of the koofteh are placed inside the flatbread and filled with more herbs and radish slices.
You can also serve your Persian meatballs with yogurt, mast o khiar (yogurt with cucumbers) and/or torshi, Persian pickled vegetables.
You can freeze any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerator for up to 4 days. Koofteh can also be frozen. Transfer cooled food into a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can reheat frozen koofteh in a pot over low heat until warm, or thaw overnight and reheat in a microwave.
Nutrition
Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 684mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g
