Kalleh Gonjeshki (Meatballs and Potatoes)
Updated Jan. 14, 2022
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound ground beef or lamb, or combination
- 1½teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- 1teaspoon dried mint, crushed between your fingers (optional)
- ¼teaspoon black pepper
- ¼teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1small yellow onion, grated on the largest hole of a box grater
- 1large garlic clove, finely grated
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1large yellow onion, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2garlic cloves, finely grated
- ½teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1large Yukon Gold potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
- 3tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Meatballs
For the Sauce
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
541 calories; 43 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 25 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 610 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Step 2
Place the meat in a large bowl and spread it out, creating a flat surface, to ensure the spices are evenly distributed. Sprinkle the salt, dried mint (if using), pepper and turmeric evenly over the meat. Add the grated onion and garlic, and mix everything well with your clean hands. Set a small bowl of warm water next to you, and wet your palms a little so the meat doesn’t stick to your hands. Roll the meat mixture into 1½-inch balls (the size of a sparrow’s head), about 1 tablespoon of meat mixture per meatball. (You should have around 25 to 30 meatballs.) Place the meatballs on the prepared sheet pan, drizzle with the olive oil and bake until cooked through and slightly browned on top, about 20 minutes.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium sauté pan or pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the onion with a little salt, reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and turmeric. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the garlic and turmeric are fragrant.
- Step 4
Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, stir, and cook for 2 minutes just to take the raw edge off. Push the potatoes to the sides and make a little space in the middle of the pot. Add the tomato paste to the oil in the center, stirring to cook off its raw taste and deepen the color, and taking care not to burn it, about 1 minute. Mix the tomato paste with the potatoes, add 1½ cups of water, stir and bring to a gentle boil. Add the meatballs, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Step 5
Taste the sauce and a potato, and adjust seasonings to your liking. Add the cinnamon, gently stir, cover and cook for another 5 minutes, until all the flavors have melded. You can add more water if you’d like a slightly thinner sauce.
Private Notes
Comments
This dish was fabulous! The only thing I’d suggest as a modification is to cook the potatoes longer before adding the meatballs, in order to let them get soft. I added another 10 minutes or so of simmering on their own, and even with that kept it going with thee meatballs for quite a while to get the potatoes as soft as I wanted them. Plan on at least an extra 20 minutes of simmering.
The size of a sparrow’s head! If you don’t have any sparrows handy, you could use a melon baller…
As an Iranian, I'd say this was very good; however, if you want to make it authentically Persian add about a 1/4 teaspoon of saffron mixed with 2 tablespoons of hot water before the 15 minute simmer. It'll bump the flavor up a notch.
Very yummy. Very toddler friendly.
This is a dish that my grandmother used to make for us on cold winter nights and we ate it with so much appetite, with minty yogurt and a piece of sangam bread out of the oven. I made and followed this recipe here but I can tell you that this too was divine. Grandma made it without the tomato paste. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
No dried mint so used Mexican oregano instead. Not sure how it compares but I thought it tasted good. Also no potato so cubed mushrooms instead. Had 30 meatballs, cooked for 18 minutes in oven, should have checked them at 12, they came out dry, only partially rescued by the sauce. A good dinner, if less authentic