Tabriz meatballs


Tabriz meatballs, also known as koofteh Tabrizi, are a variety of Iranian meatballs from the city of Tabriz. The dish normally consists of a large meatball including rice, yellow split peas, herbs and other ingredients, and its juice which is served in a separate dish with shredded sangak or lavash bread before the main course.

Preparation

The ingredients are ground beef, rice, yellow split peas, leeks, mint, parsley, onion and spices, wrapped around a core of boiled egg, walnut, fried onion and dried apricot. The kufteh are braised along with fried onions, tomato paste and barberries.
Some versions are wrapped around a small stuffed bird before stewing.

Etymology

Kufteh Tabrizi means 'meatball of Tabriz'. The word is derived from kūfteh: in Persian, kuftan means 'to beat' or 'to grind'.