@Anna N @FauxPas @robirdstx Poached it is. I wouldn't recommend cooking meatballs in a pouch, it might be dirty.
3 hours ago, Okanagancook said:Your Baharat mix is quite different from the one I have used. It is out of The Complete Middle East Cookbook by Tess Mallos in the Gulf States section. This mix has 1/2 c black pepper, 1/4 c coriander seeds, 1/4 cu cassia bark, 1/4 c cloves, 1/3 c cumin seeds, 2 teaspoons cardamom seeds, 4 whole nutmegs and 1/2 cup paprika. Can you comment on this? Your meal looks fantastic. Was it lamb in the meatballs?
Bahart is simply "spices" in Arabic, so although it is used to refer to a relatively specific blend, it is prone to variations. I don't always have it all ground and mixed, so I just add some of the common ingredients by feel. I'll rarely include coriander or paprika in it (though I often pair it with paprika). Nutmeg and black pepper I prefer to add at the end of cooking, so I won't blend it together with the rest.
I would have preferred to use lamb, or part lamb, but it was all quite improvised, so I didn't have any on hand.
As for the recipe, I don't have the amount, but the meatballs were made with ground beef and some turkey that I had frozen, flavored with said spices (but any blend will work), finely chopped onion, minced garlic, some thick yogurt (you can use Greek style or labaneh), egg, salt and breadcrumbs. Pan fried in a shallow layer of oil until the first side is browned and only shortly on the other side. Set aside and clear the oil from any particles (Wipe the pan and replace the oil it's too dirty). Fry onion stripes until deeply browned, add quite plenty of garlic, some cumin, a little fenugreek and chilly to taste. Heat to release the flavors into the oil and add yogurt (I also added a small amount of lebben, which is a light sour cream / thick buttermilk; since had leftover on hand. I guess it can be subbed by more yogurt). Also some salt. Gently heat while stirring. Place meatballs in sauce (I tried to place the browned side on top, so it will look better). Simmer shortly, until the meatballs are cooked through and top with cilantro. Adjust flavors to taste - mine wasn't tart enough, so I sprinkled a little lemon juice.
