Description
Juicy meatballs simmered to perfection, topped with a vibrant dill-coriander yogurt sauce. A simple yet flavorful weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb (454 g) ground chuck
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pine nuts)
- 1/4 cup golden raisins, soaked in warm water 10 minutes, squeezed dry, and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 egg
- 1 fresh red chili, finely chopped
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for the pan
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the dill-coriander yogurt:
- 1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 bunch fresh dill, large stems removed, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups strained yogurt (Greek yogurt or labneh)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
- 1 tsp honey, or to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine the ground chuck, chopped nuts, raisins, cumin, egg, red chili, green onions, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well until evenly combined.
- Pinch off a small piece and fry it in a little oil to taste. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Shape the mixture into meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches each).
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and slowly brown on all sides until golden. Transfer to a baking tray and bake at 350°F (175°C) until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drizzle with a little olive oil before baking to prevent sticking.
- Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until fragrant and beginning to pop. Transfer to a mortar and pestle.
- Grind the toasted seeds roughly with a pinch of salt, then add the 1 tbsp olive oil and work into a coarse paste. Add the chopped dill and mash to combine.
- Stir the coriander-dill paste into the yogurt. Season with lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature alongside the warm meatballs.
Notes
Soak and chop the raisins before mixing — dry raisins pull moisture from the meat as they cook and end up too chewy. Use strained yogurt or labneh for the sauce; regular yogurt is too thin. Serve the yogurt sauce at room temperature, not heated — the warm meatballs will temper it naturally.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mediterranean