Gondi
A traditional Persian-Jewish Shabbat hors d'oeuvres that I like to enjoy as a hearty meal. Made from ground chicken and chickpeas, this recipe from my mother holds a sweet spot in my heart.
Servings: 6
Calories: 731kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground chicken or dark meat turkey or beef
- 4 chicken legs
- 6 oz. chickpea flour
- 1 yellow onion grated
- 1 yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 1/4 cup flavorless oil like canola, avocado, or sunflower seed
- 1 tbsp matzo meal panko, or breadcrumbs
- 16 oz. canned chickpeas rinsed (optional: peeled)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Cumin seed
- Salt and pepper
- fresh herbs for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Bring 6 cups of water and the chicken legs to boil. As foam builds, skim the top with a slotted spoon.
- Lower to simmer. Add the cumin seed, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp turmeric, bay leaves, and quartered onion. Let the chicken simmer ~20 minutes. After 20 minutes discard the bay leaves and quartered onion.
- In the meantime, mix the ground poultry, grated onion, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup oil, matzo meal, ground cumin, 1/4 tsp turmeric, salt, pepper, and chickpea powder. Mix thoroughly without over-mixing. The mixture should be soft and elastic.
- When the chicken broth is ready, remove the chicken from the pot. Bring the water back to a rolling boil.
- Make golf ball size balls from the ground poultry mixture. Add to the boiling broth.
- Add the chickpeas to the broth.
- Bring to boil. Add the chicken back to the pot. Lower to a simmer.
- Simmer 30-40 minutes.
- Garnish with your favorite herbs (optional). Noush-ie-jan!
Video
Notes
The texture of the ground mixture should be elastic and soft.
Serve with basmati rice or enjoy as a soup.
I prefer using ground dark meat. It has more flavor and fat.
You can freeze the gondi dumplings on a baking sheet. When frozen, transfer to a sealable bag or container. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 731kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 157mg | Sodium: 505mg | Potassium: 1345mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 94IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 6mg
