Meatballs And Potatoes A Traditional And Delicious Greek Dish Recipes

GREEK MEATBALLS RECIPE (KEFTEDES/ KEFTETHES)

Steps:

• To prepare this traditional Greek meatballs recipe (keftedes), add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well (for about 5-10 minutes), squeezing with your hands, to allow the flavours to blend. Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Turn the mixture for the keftedes out of the fridge and roll into meatballs the size of a walnut (or bigger if you prefer). If you're frying them, dredge the rolled meatballs lightly in flour making sure to shake off any excess. Fry until nicely browned on all sides.
• The traditional way of cooking Greek meatballs (keftedes) is frying them. Fry the keftedes in batches of 10-15 at a time, until nicely browned on all sides.
• Instead of frying you can bake / grill the keftedes in the oven. Preheat the oven at 200C, place the un-floured keftedes on greased baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning the meatballs upside down midway through cooking time. The grilled version is much lighter than the fried so theres not excuse to not trying it now!
• Keftedes (Greek meatballs) are ideally served as an appetizer (meze) with some creamy tzatziki sauce and pita breads or as a main course with some basmati rice and a Greek salad. Enjoy!

GREEK MEATBALLS WITH GRATED POTATO

Steps:

• To make the meatballs: Take one large potato and wash it.
• Do not yet peel it.
• Put the potato into a saucepan of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
• Remove the potato from the hot water and let cool.
• In a large mixing bowl put the meat.
• Add the onion, salt, garlic, oregano, mint, black pepper and cinnamon.
• Next, peel the potato and grate it.
• Add the grated potato to the meat and spices and mix everything together.
• Chill in the fridge for about one hour until the meat has gotten cold.
• Make small meatballs and fry in a nonstick frying pan, on medium heat, in a little olive oil, until well browned.
• Cook in batches, remove the meatballs and drain on paper towels. Note: I have also used frozen (and thawed) shredded hash browns in here rather than cooking a whole potato. This will speed up the recipe a little bit.
• Greek Yogurt Salad: Mix together the yogurt and water and stir until blended.
• If you want the yogurt thick, add less water, if you want it more thin, add more water. I often like to add several Tablespoons of olive oil here, but that is optional.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
• Chill in the fridge until serving time.

KALLEH GONJESHKI (MEATBALLS AND POTATOES)

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Place the meat in a large bowl and spread it out, creating a flat surface, to ensure the spices are evenly distributed. Sprinkle the salt, dried mint (if using), pepper and turmeric evenly over the meat. Add the grated onion and garlic, and mix everything well with your clean hands. Set a small bowl of warm water next to you, and wet your palms a little so the meat doesn't stick to your hands. Roll the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls (the size of a sparrow's head), about 1 tablespoon of meat mixture per meatball. (You should have around 25 to 30 meatballs.) Place the meatballs on the prepared sheet pan, drizzle with the olive oil and bake until cooked through and slightly browned on top, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium sauté pan or pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the onion with a little salt, reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and turmeric. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the garlic and turmeric are fragrant.
• Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, stir, and cook for 2 minutes just to take the raw edge off. Push the potatoes to the sides and make a little space in the middle of the pot. Add the tomato paste to the oil in the center, stirring to cook off its raw taste and deepen the color, and taking care not to burn it, about 1 minute. Mix the tomato paste with the potatoes, add 1 1/2 cups of water, stir and bring to a gentle boil. Add the meatballs, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Taste the sauce and a potato, and adjust seasonings to your liking. Add the cinnamon, gently stir, cover and cook for another 5 minutes, until all the flavors have melded. You can add more water if you'd like a slightly thinner sauce.