Iraqi Dumplings in Tomato Stew

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Meatball mix

1. 1
   Mix the ground meat with the onion, parsley, cumin, paprika, turmeric, salt and black pepper until evenly combined.
2. 2
   With wet hands, shape patties the size of a walnut.

   💡Wet hands don't stick to the mixture, and the patties come out smooth and even.
3. 3
   Heat the olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveWide, shallow pot
4. 4
   Add the onion and fry 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
5. 5
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.
6. 6
   Add the cumin, paprika and turmeric and stir about a minute, until fragrant.

   ⚙ SimmeringStove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
7. 7
   Combine the meatballs and the sauce in the pot. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer 35 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked and the sauce thickens.

   ⚙ SimmeringStovePotLid

   💡Drop the meatballs into boiling sauce and don't stir at first: that way they firm up and keep their shape.
8. 8
   Serve with white rice.