Koufteh in Tomato Sauce

Close up of meat and rice dumplings submerged in a large pot of red sauce with vegetables.

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Persian koufteh are meat and rice dumplings simmered in a rich tomato broth, absorbing its savory flavors for a deliciously hearty dish.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Main

Cuisine: Persian

Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher

Servings:

Calories: 597kcal

Author: Candice Walker

Ingredients

The Broth

1 can tomato sauce plus up to half the can filled with water
10 oz. beef broth or 1 beef bouillon + water
¼ cup tomato paste
1 yellow onion quartered
2 carrots chopped into 3-inch long pieces
1 tomato quartered
3 stalks celery chopped into 3-inch long pieces
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon salt or more, to taste
½ teaspoon pepper or more, to taste

Koufteh Meatballs

1 lb. ground beef lamb, turkey, or chicken
1 yellow onion grated
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ cup basmati rice
½ cup parsley finely chopped, ~1/2 bunch, leaves and small stems only
¼ cup cilantro finely chopped, ~1/2 bunch, leaves and stems ok.
¼ cup oil canola or other flavorless oil
½ teaspoon salt or more, to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper or more, to taste

Instructions

Bring the stock, tomato sauce, tomato paste, quartered onion, tomato, celery, carrots, bay leaves, salt, and pepper to a simmer.
1 can tomato sauce, 10 oz. beef broth, 1 yellow onion, 2 carrots, 1 tomato, 3 stalks celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 cup tomato paste
Mix the ground meat, grated onion with the water squeezed out, garlic, turmeric, basmati rice, parsley, cilantro, oil, salt, & pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
1 lb. ground beef, 1 yellow onion, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, 1/2 cup basmati rice, 1/2 cup parsley, 1/4 cup cilantro, 2 bay leaves, 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Once the water is boiling, roll the beef mixture into 2-inch diameter balls and drop into the boiling soup. Add up to half the can of water to make sure the koufteh are covered at least 3/4 of the way by the liquid. Bring back to boil, reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour.

Notes

You can use any combination of parsley, cilantro, tarragon, and basil. A great shortcut is to purchase sabzi koufteh, a dried herb mix made especially for this dish.

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