Koofteh Tabrizi

Description
Persian herbed meatball soup

Herbed ball

 * 1 lb ground beef or veal
 * 1½ cups rice, raw, well rinsed
 * 1 teaspoon salt
 * ¼ teaspoon turmeric, ground
 * ¼ teaspoon pepper
 * 2 tablespoons tarragon, dried
 * 2 bunches Italian parsley, chopped fine in a processor
 * 1 cup leeks, fine chopped
 * ½ cup dill, fresh
 * ½ cup onions, chopped fine

Broth

 * 3 tablespoons oil
 * 2 medium onions, sliced
 * ¼ teaspoon turmeric, ground
 * 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
 * 1 teaspoon salt
 * 5 cups water
 * 1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)

Directions

 * 1) Mix all the meatball ingredients together and roll into balls, 2½ inches in diameter, firmly packed.
 * 2) Refrigerate them for 1 hour.
 * 3) To make the broth, heat the oil in a pan or soup kettle, add the onions and turmeric, and stir-fry over moderate heat until light brown, about 3 minutes.
 * 4) Add the tomatoes and salt and stir-fry for 2 minutes more.
 * 5) Add the water and bring to a boil.
 * 6) Moisten your hands with cold water.
 * 7) Take each herbed ball and roll it firmly; add the balls to the broth very carefully, one at a time, so that they do not not fall apart.
 * 8) The water should just cover the balls.
 * 9) Cover the pan and cook over moderately low heat, without stirring, for 45 minutes.
 * 10) Add the green peas and cook for 10 minutes more.
 * 11) The broth will reduce somewhat, the balls swell considerably due to the expansion of the rice.
 * 12) Serve warm—with the meatballs in the broth.