Persian Cuisine
Koofteh Berenji
Ingredients: (6 servings)
- Basmati or Long Grain Rice, 100 grams
- Ground Beef or Lamb, 500 grams
- Chick-pea Flour, 100 grams
- Herbs (spring onion ends, parsley, common-dill, sweet-fennel, mint, tarragon), 500 grams
- 3 Eggs
- Split-peas, 100 grams
- 3-4 onions
- 0.5 cup of cooking oil
- 2-3 spoons of turmeric (or tomato paste)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Barberries, 100 grams
- Walnuts, 100 grams
Directions:
Koofteh-Berenji is a delicious ball of meat, rice and herbs with extra goodies inside. Cook rice in some water with a bit of salt until it softens, then filter out the water. Do the same to split-peas.
Mix rice, split-peas, chick-pea flour, meat, eggs, salt and pepper very well. Cut the herbs very finely and mix in with the rest. Chop the onions and fry in oil until golden. Save some of the fried onions. Add 5-6 glasses of water to the rest of the onions with a bit of salt, pepper and turmeric (or tomato paste) and bring to boil.
Make balls about the size of an orange from the mix, leaving a bit of barberries, walnuts and fried onions at the center. Place the balls in the boiling water and cook for a few minutes. Then continue cooking at low temperature until the koofteh is completely cooked. Make sure the container is not covered during cooking.
Roxana & Farzin Mokhtarian
Jan 2004
