The Hirshon Iranian Gondi Meatballs in Chicken Soup - گندی

Gondi Image Used Under Creative Commons License From pinterest.com

Citizens, I just provided you with a classic Italian-American meatball recipe a few days ago – now, allow the all-knowing TFD to share a far more exotic meatball option with you!

Gondi (go-n-dee) is a Persian Jewish dish of meatballs made from ground lamb, veal or chicken traditionally served on Shabbat. Dried Persian lime is sometimes used as an ingredient in the soup they are traditionally served in – you can find them on Amazon here.

Gondi are served in chicken soup, as a side dish, or as an appetizer. Accompaniments are Middle Eastern bread and raw greens such as mint, watercress, and basil.

The origin of Gondi is not certainly known as various cities in Iran are said to have been its origin, but it is commonly said to have first been made in the Jewish community of Tehran. Due to the expense of the meat, it was a specialty for Shabbat. It is one of the few dishes credited to Iranian Jews.

This dumpling recipe was popular among Mizrahi Iranian Jews for Shabbat. The dumplings may be cooked in chicken stock or just added to your favorite chicken soup recipe in place of matzo balls.

Mizrahi Jews are Jews descended from local Jewish communities of the Middle East from biblical times into the modern era. They include descendants of Babylonian Jews and Mountain Jews from modern Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Dagestan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Uzbekistan, the Caucasus, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. Yemenite Jews are sometimes also included, but their history is separate from Babylonian Jewry.

The use of the term Mizrahi can be somewhat controversial. The term Mizrahim is sometimes applied to descendants of Maghrebi and Sephardi Jews, who had lived in North Africa (Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco), the Sephardi-proper communities of Turkey and the mixed Levantine communities of Lebanon, Israel and Syria.

Before the establishment of the state of Israel, Mizrahi Jews did not identify themselves as a separate Jewish subgroup. Instead, Mizrahi Jews generally characterized themselves as Sephardi, as they follow the traditions of Sephardi Judaism (but with some differences among the minhag “customs” of particular communities).

As of 2005, over 61% of Israeli Jews are of at least partial Mizrahi ancestry.

My Citizens, I have every confidence that regardless of whether you are Jewish or not, you will adore this unique recipe – try it for your next Shabbos or Friday night dinner and see for yourselves! 🙂

Battle on – The Generalissimo

The Hirshon Iranian Gondi Meatballs in Chicken Soup – گندی

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Recipes

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
1 small onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about ½ cup)
¾ pound ground chicken legs and thighs
½ cup matzo meal
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cardamom pods (2 pods)
3 tablespoons water, as needed
1 tbsp. rosewater
¼ cup chopped parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
***
For the soup:
2 quarts homemade chicken broth
1 medium carrot, chopped into ½-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1 medium leek, white parts only, split lengthwise in quarters, chopped into ¼-inch segments (about 1 cup)
1 large celery stalk, de-stringed and chopped into ¼-inch segments (about 1 cup)
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 cup)
2 whole dried Iranian limes, pierced a few times with a knife
1 tbsp. saffron threads (preferred) or turmeric
Chopped parsley and dill for garnish, plus additional lime quarters

Instructions

Bring chicken broth to a boil over high heat in a large saucepan. Reduce to a bare simmer and add dried limes, saffron or turmeric, carrots, leeks, celery, and potato. Cover and cook until vegetables are completely tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the gondi.
For the gondi: Place chickpeas in a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher until no whole chickpeas remain but mixture is still somewhat chunky. Add all remaining ingredients. Lightly mix with hands until mixture is well combined, then add rosewater and water, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture comes together easily and can be rolled into balls that keep their shape but don't stick to your hands.
Add ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the gondi and mix well. Place a ½-teaspoons worth of mixture on a microwave-proof plate and microwave on high power for 10 seconds until cooked through. Taste and add more salt or pepper if desired. Repeat microwaving, tasting, and seasoning until desired seasoning level is achieved.
Form gondi by rolling a couple tablespoons of the mixture between your hands. Each gondi should measure 1 ½ inches in diameter. You'll be able to make about 20 gondi. Transfer to a large plate as you form them.
Bring the broth to a gentle boil and carefully lower the dumplings into the broth, cover with a lid and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes. The dumplings will expand in the liquid. Remove the lid and simmer for another 20 minutes, until the soup has concentrated in both consistency and flavor. (Add water as necessary, or reduce the liquid for longer.)
Adjust seasoning of the broth with salt and pepper. Serve, garnished with herbs and lime quarters.

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