A meatball stew is always welcome, and on Friday, it gains extra flavor when paired with sweet challah, whose role is to gather the sauce and the meatball together, creating the perfect bite.
This week, we’ll start by making chicken balls. At first glance, they may not look fancy, but they contain wonderful flavor that makes them true comfort food. The ground chicken mixture can be enriched with a variety of additions - herbs, nuts, bread, or breadcrumbs - and seasoned with interesting and exotic spices. Once all ingredients are placed in a bowl, kneaded well, and shaped into evenly sized balls, it’s time to prepare the sauce. For these chicken balls, you can make a different sauce each time, which will be warmly received and appreciated by the family.
Seasoned Chicken Balls
Ingredients (6–8 servings):
For the chicken balls:
½ kg ground chicken breast
½ cup finely chopped almonds
1 large chopped onion
1 egg
Salt and black pepper, to taste
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp turmeric
5 crushed garlic cloves
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped cilantro
For the sauce:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large chopped or sliced onion
5 crushed garlic cloves
1 large carrot, diced
1 tomato, diced
2 celery stalks, cut into medium pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp hot or sweet paprika
1 tsp cumin
3 cups water
For garnish:
½ cup chopped parsley and cilantro
Preparation:
Place all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl and knead until uniform. Shape into balls about 3–4 cm in diameter and place on a tray. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a wide, shallow pot, add the onion, and fry until golden. Add the crushed garlic, diced carrot, and tomato. Stir, then add the chopped celery. Pour in ½ cup water and add the spices. Stir and pour in the remaining liquids. Cover and bring to a boil.
Taste and adjust seasoning. If needed, add more turmeric, paprika, or salt. Add the chicken balls and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Gently shake the pot so the liquids coat the vegetables and chicken balls evenly. Continue cooking over low heat for another 30–40 minutes until the liquid reduces. Serve hot with rice.
Difficulty: Medium
Preparation time: About 1.5 hours
Dish type: Meat
The second recipe is for beef meatballs. You can grind or finely chop the meat, then shape the mixture into meatballs, which can be fried or baked. After frying or baking, prepare a sauce based on a spicy vegetable bed, arrange the meatballs in it, and cook until tender and thickened.
Baked Meatballs on a Vegetable Bed
Ingredients (8–10 servings):
For the meatballs:
1 bunch chopped cilantro
1 bunch chopped parsley
1 bunch chopped dill
300 g finely chopped beef (not ground)
1 large chopped onion
10 crushed garlic cloves
1 grated carrot
1 large grated potato
2 eggs
1–2 cups semolina (or a mix of semolina and breadcrumbs)
1 tbsp paprika
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp Ras el Hanout spice mix
For the vegetable bed:
2 tbsp oil
2 medium diced tomatoes
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
½ basket sliced mushrooms
2 sliced green peppers
1 medium finely chopped onion
5 finely chopped parsley stalks
5 sliced garlic cloves
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp harissa or hot paprika
2–3 cups water for covering
For serving:
¼ cup chopped parsley and cilantro
Preparation:
Place all ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl and knead until uniform. If the mixture is too soft, add more semolina or breadcrumbs.
The dish can be prepared in two ways. The first method is to form medium-sized meatballs and fry them on both sides until golden brown. The second option is to bake the meatballs.
For baking: Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Take portions of the meat mixture and shape into balls 6–7 cm in diameter. Arrange the balls on the tray with space between them, press slightly, and flatten. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for 20–30 minutes. Initially, the meatballs release liquid but quickly firm up and keep their shape. Bake until nicely browned.
Preparing the vegetable bed: Heat oil in a wide, shallow pot, add all the vegetables, and sauté for 2–3 minutes. Add spices, harissa, and water, and stir. Bring to a boil.
Arrange the baked meatballs in the pot in a spiral pattern. Gently shake the pot so the liquid coats the meatballs. Cover and cook over low heat for 20–30 minutes until the liquid reduces. Sprinkle parsley on top and serve with rice or mashed potatoes.
Difficulty: Medium
Preparation time: About 1.5 hours
Dish type: Meat
And of course, you can’t enjoy meatballs on Friday without challah. As you know, I make challah and rolls every Friday. Each week, I prepare a different type based on the ingredients at home, flavors, and mood. This week, I made whole-wheat challah. I usually add various extras to make it more appealing to my family, who are used to challah with a brown crust and white interior.
Now, with Passover approaching rapidly, if you have a stock of flour, breadcrumbs, or semolina in your pantry, these recipes are a wonderful and especially tasty way to use them up.
Sweet Whole-Wheat Challah
Ingredients (for 3 challahs):
1 kg sifted whole-wheat flour
⅓ cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
50 g yeast
2 tbsp Demerara sugar or brown sugar
3–3½ cups water
2 tbsp silan (date syrup)
½ cup nuts
½ cup light raisins
For brushing:
1 beaten egg
½ cup sesame or poppy seeds
Preparation:
Place the flour in a mixer bowl, create a well in the center, pour in the oil and eggs, and add the salt. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar around the well.
Mix with a dough hook at medium speed, gradually adding water, silan, nuts, and raisins, increasing speed until a soft, flexible dough forms that detaches from the bowl sides.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film, and let rise in a warm place for about 1.5 hours or until doubled in size.
Knead lightly to release air. Divide the dough into 9 equal parts and shape each into a long roll. Connect 3 rolls at one end and braid. Seal and pinch the ends.
Arrange the braids on a baking tray with space between them or one braid per tray. Let rise for about 20 minutes. Brush the braids with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 25–30 minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) until nicely browned. Cool on a rack.
Difficulty: Medium
Preparation time: About 1 hour (excluding rising time)
Dish type: Parve
Tip from Pascal: First time using whole-wheat flour?
The amount of liquid in whole-wheat dough should be nearly a cup more than in white flour dough. Add gradually until the dough is soft and flexible.
You can mix white and whole-wheat flour (e.g., ½ kg white flour + ½ kg whole-wheat flour).