From Friday’s post of my Portuguese Bread and Garlic Soup with Cilantro and Fresh Shrimp we move East for a little Persian influenced meal. Because that’s how we roll over here. We go International – Big and Bold!
These moist and flavorful meatballs come packed with chopped pistachios, cilantro, dried cherries and warm spices. Draped in a quick and easy pan sauce with chopped shallots this was perfect and made in under 30 minutes.
These little meatballs start off with ground turkey instead of lamb, are browned in a skillet and are quite delightful in texture and taste. The sweet and tangy dried cherry adds an unexpected flavor element to the palette and the chopped pistachios do for texture. Feel free to substitute dried cranberries for the dried cherries if you like, or if you don’t have any on hand.
The pan sauce keeps these coated and were perfect alongside some steamed basmati rice and a salad.
What I love about Persian food is the use of herbs mixed with fruits such as cherries, plums, pomegranates, apricots, prunes and raisins. The flavorful combinations of rice with meat, usually lamb, but also chicken, or fish and vegetables and nuts is a texture and flavorful experience.
In this dish I include the chopped pistachios in the meat prior to browning them.
Some of the usual Persian flavors such as saffron, dried lime and cinnamon are mixed to achieve a wonderful balance, and as in this dish, are to awaken the tastebuds!
In a skillet over medium heat, toast the celery seed, coriander, cumin and fennel seeds until aromatic, just a minute or two tops. Don’t burn them, you just want to release their essential oils. Grind in a spice grinder.
In a bowl add the turkey, toasted and ground spices, pistachios, dried cherries, cilantro, breadcrumbs and egg. Mix together by hand until incorporated completely. Add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet. Use a 2-inch scoop or roll into 16 small balls, about the size of a golf ball. Set aside.
In a large frying pan add the olive oil and brown the meatballs on all sides. Remove from pan and keep warm.
Over medium heat in the same pan sauté the shallot until translucent. Add the flour and cook for a minute, stirring to cook the flour. Gradually add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan a little at a time, stirring to pick up all the little browned bits and incorporate completely.
Add the cooked meatballs back to the pan and turn to coat all over with pan dripping sauce. Cover with lid and cook on low to heat through. Season with salt if needed. Serve with rice.
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 tbsp pistachios, chopped
- ¼ cup dried cherries, chopped
- ½ tsp celery seed
- ½ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp fennel seed
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 diced shallot
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- In a skillet over medium heat, toast the celery seed, coriander, cumin and fennel seeds until aromatic, just a minute or two tops. Don’t burn them,you just want to release their essential oils. Grind in a spice grinder.
- In a bowl add the turkey, toasted and ground spices, pistachios, dried cherries, cilantro, breadcrumbs and egg. Mix together by hand until incorporated completely. Add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet. Use a 1½-inch scoop or roll into small balls, about the size of a golf ball. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan add the olive oil and brown the meatballs on all sides. Remove from pan and keep warm.
- Over medium heat in the same pan sauté the shallot until translucent. Add the flour and cook for a minute, stirring to cook the flour. Gradually add the chicken stock a little at a time, stirring to incorporate completely. Add the cooked meatballs back to the pan and turn to coat all over with pan dripping sauce. Cover with lid and cook on low to heat through. Season with salt if needed. Serve with rice.
Hello, Kevin. I searched on the net for something interesting… something special… with minced turkey and found your recipe.
I like middle eastern flavors and immediately decided to cook. I made meatballs last night. Thank you! Yummy!
If you’re interested, your recipe in Russian with my photos here:
https://www.kuharka.ru/recipes/meat/farsh/19591.html
Hi Julia. So happy that you found me and tried the recipe. Always happy to read comments like this and thanks for sharing your link. Looks delicious! 🙂
I found you on the meatball recipe round-up today. The title caught my attention, and I must say these sound really good. I love trying interesting recipes…this is on my radar. Cheers Lindy
Thanks for checking out my recipe and the site Lindy. These are really tasty and I hope you give them a try. 🙂
Thanks for this great recipe! Looks so flavorful and healthy. I’m going to make it for the Persian new year. When visiting a college town on the east coast, I tried Aghan food for the first time and I loved the dried fruits and nuts in the rice dishes. This is totally up my alley.
So glad you found me and hope you enjoy the recipe Rachael. My site is really geared to international cuisine so I hope you take a look around. Cheers!
I think I will try this with beef instead of turkey.
I’m sure that would work well or even lamb. Thanks for stopping by my site and Happy New Years to you Rebecca!
So drawn to middle eastern ingredients!
I’m going to try making a vegetarian version any ideas where to begin? no soy…
Hello Nicole and thanks for stopping by my humble little corner of the food blogosphere!
I am not sure about vegetarian version and with no soy, well I am stumped, but there is always Google! Here is a link for you.
Thank you for this. Thinking of trying with the ppk mini lentil meatball recipe!
Excellent, let me know what you think Nicole!
I made these last night – super yummy!! I made them with ground chicken cause that’s what i had in the freezer. I also forogt to put the cilantro inside the meatballs, so just sprinkled it on top…it worked. Will be making them again for sure!!.
Awesome, so glad to read this Jennifer! The chicken sounds fantastic as well. Have a great day. 🙂
Kevin!!! I love these meatballs – my mouth is absolutely watering just reading the ingredient list. I’ll be trying this pronto.
Please do and let me know what you think Marissa. These are definitely my new favorite!
Oh boy…this combo and the mixture of spices must make the flavor just breathtaking! Could you throw a few meatballs in my laptop’s monitor, please (that will be faster than a mail delivery) 🙂 Nicely done!
Haha, thanks Ben! Other cultures spices mixtures always intrigue me and this was a fantastic mix. The pistachios and dried cherries are a must!
Hey Kevin! These look delicious! I quite often put pistachios in meatloaf and country pate.
Thanks Dorothy, that little added crunch and pistachio flavor is so good!
Oh YUM!!! I myself LOVE Persian food!!! I am working on redoing all my fave Persian recipes as we speak 🙂 Total yums!!!
Isn’t it just so wonderful? Love it and I look forward to your posts! Intoxicating is what comes to mind with all Middle Eastern food, so exquisite. 🙂
Jumped on this as soon as I saw the titled. I LOVE food from the middle east! This totally rocks my boat. Check out those flavours you’ve got going on in those meatballs!!! LOVE on so many levels!! Pinning and sharing – 🙂
In another life I lived over there, I just know it! Thanks so much Nagi, appreciate the kind words and sharing. 😉