| Tabriz meatballs | |
| Alternate Name: | Kufteh Tabrizi, koofteh Tabrizi |
| Country: | Iran |
| Type: | Meatballs |
| Main Ingredient: | Ground meat, rice, leeks, split peas, and other ingredients |
| Variations: | Ciorbă de perişoare, sulu köfte, yuvarlak, Smyrna meatballs |
Tabriz meatballs (Persian: کوفته تبریزی|kufteh Tabrizi), also known as koofteh Tabrizi, are a variety of Iranian meatballs from the city of Tabriz.[1] The dish normally consists of a large meatball including rice, yellow split peas, herbs and other ingredients, and its juice which is served in a separate dish with shredded sangak or lavash bread before the main course.[2]
The ingredients are ground beef, rice, yellow split peas, leeks, mint, parsley, onion and spices, wrapped around a core of boiled egg, walnut, fried onion and dried apricot. The kufteh are braised along with fried onions, tomato paste and barberries.[3] [4]
Some versions are wrapped around a small stuffed bird before stewing.
Kufteh Tabrizi means 'meatball of Tabriz'. The word is derived from kūfteh: in Persian, kuftan (کوفتن) means 'to beat' or 'to grind'.[5]