Sunday, October 18, 2009

Sunday dinner

Got lamb, got beets, what else are you going to make?  Kibbeh Shiftah B'shwandar of course.  It's beet stew with lamb meatballs

Beet Stew with Lamb Meatballs


It's a traditional Iraqi-Jewish dish....We'll see how this Southern WASP does with it 

6 comments:

  1. So, how was it? Not a huge beet fan myself, but I'll try just about anything once.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It was really good. I can send you the recipe. Very middle eastern. Actually I'll probably be bringing a mug in of it on Friday for lunch so I'll stop by and how it off. I was honestly very VERY happy with it. It's rare that I'm really happy with something I make, it can always be tweaked, but this really was good. The spices melded so well together and the color was outstanding. I'll probably make it around Christmas next time and serve a side of greens :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ah, could you post the recipe, please? I think my wife would love to try it out on me, she is very fond of middle eastern food...

    ReplyDelete
  4. But of course :)

    Beet Stew with Lamb Meatballs

    FOR THE MEATBALLS:
    1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
    1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
    1⁄2 lb. ground lamb
    2 tbsp. dried currants
    1 1⁄2 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf
    parsley leaves
    1 tbsp. pine nuts
    1⁄2 tsp. paprika
    1 egg, lightly beaten
    Kosher salt and freshly ground
    black pepper, to taste


    FOR THE RICE:
    1 1⁄2 cups basmati rice,
    soaked in water for 20 minutes
    2 tsp. kosher salt
    1 tsp. turmeric


    FOR THE STEW:
    6 small red beets (about 1 lb.),
    peeled and cut into sixths
    3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    Kosher salt, to taste
    5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
    1 1⁄2 tsp. ground coriander
    1 1⁄2 tsp. ground cumin
    1 1⁄2 tsp. curry powder
    1 tsp. turmeric
    3⁄4 tsp. paprika
    1⁄2 tsp. ground ginger
    1⁄8 tsp. cayenne
    1 medium yellow onion,
    finely chopped
    1⁄4 cup tomato paste
    6 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
    2 tbsp. sugar
    Freshly ground black pepper
    1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh
    flat-leaf parsley


    1. Make the meatballs: Heat oil in an 8" skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool slightly. Add onions to a medium bowl along with lamb, currants, parsley, pine nuts, paprika, and egg and combine with your hands. Divide mixture into 12 portions; dip your hands in a bowl of water and roll portions into 1 1⁄2" meatballs and transfer to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Cover meatballs with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


    2. Prepare the rice: Strain rice and transfer to a 2-qt. saucepan along with the salt, turmeric, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat and keep covered in a warm place.


    3. Meanwhile, make the stew: Bring beets and 6 cups water to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until beets are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer beets to a bowl; reserve beet juice.


    4. Put garlic on a work surface and sprinkle with a little salt; finely chop. Scrape the garlic into a paste with the side of the chef's knife. In a small bowl, combine garlic paste, 3 tbsp. oil, coriander, cumin, curry powder, turmeric, paprika, ginger, and cayenne; set spice paste aside. Heat remaining olive oil in a 6-qt. pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Add reserved spice paste and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the reserved beet juice. Add remaining beet juice, lemon juice, and sugar; simmer for 5 minutes. Using a spoon, place reserved meatballs in the simmering stew. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through, about 8 minutes. Skim surface of stew, add reserved beets, and cook for 2 more minutes. To serve, fluff rice with a fork and spoon it into serving bowls along with ladlefuls of the stew and meatballs; season and garnish with parsley.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very good indeed! The rice got a bit mashy, but that might be due to measurement translsation errors...like how many deciliters is a cup supposed to be? :)

    ReplyDelete