Syrian Cherry Meatballs – Kebab Karaz
Deliciously spiced meatballs in a sweet and sour cherry sauce
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 500 g (1.1 lb) ground beef or lamb
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- ¼ tsp Aleppo pepper or other hot pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground cardamom
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- 1/16 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/16 tsp ground cloves
- 1/16 tsp ground ginger
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 40 g (¼ cup) fine breadcrumbs
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 250 ml (1 cup) beef broth
- 250 ml (1 cup) red wine
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 350 g (12.3 oz) pitted sour cherries from 1 jar in light syrup
- 60 ml (¼ cup) light syrup from cherry jar
- 65 g (1/2 cup) dried cherries or cranberries
- ¾ tsp allspice
- Black pepper
- Salt to taste depending on saltiness of beef broth
For serving:
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Pine nuts
- Rice
Instructions
- Prepare the meatballs: Mix all the meatball ingredients together by hand, being sure to evenly sprinkle the spices over the meat (or premix the spices before adding). Form into golf-ball-sized meatballs, and set aside.
- Sauté & simmer: In a large, wide pan with a lid, sauté the onions in 2 tbsp olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the meatballs and brown on a couple sides. Add all the other sauce ingredients to the pan. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Uncover and simmer for another 15 minutes or until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
- Serve: Sprinkle 2 tbsp chopped cilantro and 1 tbsp pine nuts over the meatballs before serving. Serve over rice.
Notes
- For the hot pepper, Aleppo pepper is the most authentic, but feel free to use Cayenne or even chili paste. You can add more or less depending on how much heat you like. For this recipe, the hot pepper boosts the flavor, but it’s not supposed to be spicy.