In his working life my father used to travel a lots around the world. In this time he met someone from Persia living in Germany and working for the same company as my father did. They became lifetime friends. He taught my mother to make Koofteh [koufteh] and since she made it once we all loved it very much, so the dish became part of our menu once in a while.
The word koofteh, or kofta – there are several variations of the word – is derived from the Persian word kufta or kuftan, which means “to beat”, “to grind” or “Meatball”. In Greek it is known as κεφτέδες [keftedes]. The dish is existing in different countries in all kind of variations. In Greece you will find it as “Γιουρβαλάκια” [Jiourvalakia], made with an egg-lemon sauce and also very delicious.
This one here is the original Persian version of my father’s friend Sefat:
What you need:
300 gr minced beef
150 gr medium grain rice
2 finely chopped onions
1 egg
Salt, Pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika powder
1 Tbsp tomato paste
Olive Oil
1 ltr. vegetable or meat broth
How to prepare it:
Cook the rice in some water for appr. 10 minutes only. Let cool.
Mix minced beef with the ¾ of the onions, salt, pepper, paprika powder, rice and egg. Mix everything by hand.
In a large pot fry the rest of the onions in some olive oil until tender. Add the tomato paste and add the broth. Bring to boil.
Form the meat-rice-mixture form balls (appr. size of a tennis ball) and cook in the broth on medium heat for appr. 30 minutes.
Eat Good Live Good 