Gheymeh Rizeh Nokhodchi - Chickpea Meatballs Braised in Tomato Sauce

As is the case with many Iranians living abroad, trips to our home country tend to feel like an epic dream filled with nostalgia! Last year, three months after my trip to Iran with my daughters, I traveled to Iran again with my husband. We visited our families and traveled through Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd, and Kerman during our four-week stay. It was a memorable trip as I tried to capture the beauty of ancient Persian architecture, the vast landscapes, tucked away narrow alleyways, grand bazaars, and small craft shops. I also got to taste many of the dishes that I had dreamt of over the years while being away. I got to talk about food and recipes to anyone willing and interested to share their knowledge. One day during our stay in Isfahan,  I went out for some tea and sweets with my sister-in-law and her friend. My sister-in-law also shared her Isfahani-style pancake recipe with me and I wrote about it a while back. We went to a coffee shop inside the courtyard of a historic house.  As we were sipping tea we talked about traditional Isfahani dishes such as biriani, khoresh mast and gheymeh rizeh nokhodchi, which is the recipe that I'm sharing with you today. Below is the simple yet delicious recipe as was told to me by two lovely ladies on a memorable sunny afternoon in Isfahan.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

Meatballs

1 pound lean ground lamb or beef

2 medium-sized onions, finely grated 

1/2 cup chickpea flour

1 tablespoon dried mint 

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Tomato Sauce

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 large tomato, finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon dried mint

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

Method:

1. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, add the sliced onion, and cook until translucent. Add turmeric, stir. Add tomato paste, cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chopped tomatoes, dry mint, salt, pepper, and two cups of water, bring to a gentle boil. Simmer over low heat.
2. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, grated onion, chickpea flour, turmeric, dried mint, salt, and pepper using your hands. Shape the mixture into small meatballs.  
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs, and brown them well on all sides. 
4. Gently drop the meatballs into the tomato sauce, cover, and braise them for 45-50 minutes over low heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve with warm bread or rice and torshi. 

Enjoy!

Ash-e Goje Farangi with Koofteh Ghelgheli - Hearty Iranian Tomato Soup with Tiny Meatballs

Early this summer we planted two rows of different types of tomatoes in our vegetable garden. We are so pleased with the results that we are now planning to only plant tomatoes next summer along with some basil. Tomatoes are easy to grow and are very nutritious. They turn out incredibly tasty and harvesting them is truly gratifying. Many Iranian recipes call for tomatoes, tomato sauce or paste. These recipes include the dizi, khoresh gheymeh, khoresh bademjan, and estamboli polow and they are usually served with a side of salad shirazi: a simple salad with tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. A ripe and juicy tomato wedge wrapped up in a warm lavash is also a great snack on any given day.

As we are nearing the end of summer, there's still time to take in the sunshine, walk on the beach, and enjoy the abundance of fresh summer produce. With tomatoes still in the season, it's time to make آش گوجه فرنگی Ash-e goje farangi (tomato soup). This is a very flavorful soup that can be had all year round but is especially delicious as a late summer soup. Every region of Iran has its own version of ash-e goje farangi. They may use different kinds of herbs or spices, add beans, or peas. The Khuzestani (southern-style) آش تماته ash-e tamate is hot and spicy.

Ingredients:
Serves 6

5 large tomatoes, peeled, chopped
1/2 cup basmati rice, rinsed
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch chives or scallions, chopped
A handful of basil, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
A pinch of red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil/olive oil
Juice of 1 lime or 1-2 tablespoons abghooreh (sour grape juice)

For کوفته قلقلی Koofteh Ghelgheli - Meatballs

1/2 pound ground beef or lamb
1 small onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Method:

1. In a bowl combine beef, onion, salt and pepper, shape into mini meatballs. Place on a large plate and set aside.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut an "x" in the bottom of each tomato with a sharp knife. Place the tomatoes in the boiling water and cook for a minute or two. Remove from the pot, allow to cool and peel the skins. Chop or grate the tomatoes on a box grater. Remove the seeds if you prefer.
3. Add 3 tablespoons of oil to a pot, saute chopped onions over medium-high heat until the onions become translucent. Add turmeric, stir and add the chopped garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the rice, parsley, scallion, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and a pinch of red pepper.
6. Add six cups of water, stir, bring to a boil, add the meatballs, reduce the heat, cover and cook over low heat for 45-50 minutes. Periodically, stir the soup and add a little water if needed.
7. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Add lime juice/verjuice just before serving.

Serve hot with fresh herbs and warm bread.

Note:

For a vegetarian version of this soup, you can make it without the meatballs.
For a lighter soup, you can reduce the amount of rice to 1/4 of a cup.
You can drizzle نعنا داغ nana dagh (fried dried mint) on top.

Enjoy!