I have been wanting to make this recipe for a while to post on MPK. Neither my mom or I had ever heard about Koofteh Somagh before I pointed it out to her in Ms. Montazami’s cookbook a while back. I happen to like Koofteh Berenji, Persian Meatballs with Rice, a lot and I find it to be a very satisfying dish. One of the reasons I was drawn to this recipe, besides the sour factor, was
the fact that it uses Somac, which in Persian cuisine is generally only served with Kabob.
I played around with the original recipe and this is my favorite version of it! These rice meatballs taste really good the day that they are made, but they taste even better the next day. I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as we have!
Ingredients (makes 26 meatballs)
1lb ground beef
1/2 cup rice
1/2 cup split peas
2 medium onions
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped tarreh or chives
1 cup parsley, packed
1 cup dill
1 cup mint
1/4 cup tarragon
2 tbsp dried summer savory
1 tsp turmeric
3 tbsp sumac
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
Wash rice and split peas. Place in a pot, season with salt, and cook covered with 2 cups of water for about 30 minutes.
Wash herbs.
Fine chop herbs.
Grate one of the onions and allow the excess water to drain.
I highly recommend using a mixer for this part of the recipe. It makes things much easier and helps with the elasticity of the  mixture. Beat eggs, grated onion, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
Add meat and mix again.
Add fresh herbs, summer savory, rice, and split peas. Â Mix together until well incorporated and sticky, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Small dice second onion and sauté in olive oil until just golden. Add turmeric.
Add 2 tablespoons of Sumac and mix well.
Add 6 cups of water and season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover and bring to a simmer.
In the meantime using a 1 tablespoon scooper, scoop out meatballs and place on parchment paper.
When the broth comes to a simmer, add remaining tablespoon of sumac and adjust seasoning if needed. Then using two tablespoons gently drop each meatball in the pot.
Once all the meatballs are in, spoon the broth over the ones that are exposed. Cover and cook for 1 hour on medium heat. During the cooking time, make sure to baste the exposed meatballs a couple of times.
Serve meatballs in their broth, as it’s delicious, and sprinkle some sumac on top.
* Affiliate link included in post.
October 14, 2014
Sanam, I’m drooling!!! These koofteh look amazing with somagh, one of my favorite spices! What a beautiful dish.
October 16, 2014
Looks so yummy & comforting, especially now that the evenings have finally cooled off a bit! xo
November 16, 2014
I’m looking forward to trying these tomorrow. I like your website very much. One frustration: is there a way to print a recipe without all of the pictures? I end up cutting and pasting recipes. Thank you!
February 28, 2015
Really curious about this recipe. I have seen the sumac at the table at a local Persian restaurant, but never new exactly how to use it. I also enjoy the sour tastes of the Persian cusine.
About this recipe, I was wondering if you use lamb or beef? thank you!
March 17, 2015
Sharon, for this recipe I used beef. But you an substitute with lamb.