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 (30 g) 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 (360 ml) 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
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420