Kefta – Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Meatball mix

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

   💡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 pan over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveFrying pan
4. 4
   Add 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 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
6. 6
   Add the tomatoes, turmeric and sugar and bring to a boil.

   Stove
7. 7
   Drop the meatballs into the boiling sauce. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked and the sauce thickens.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

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

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
8. 8
   Serve with white rice.