Persian Chicken & Chickpea Balls {Gundi}

Thanks to Gil Marks, author of Encyclopedia of Jewish Food for sharing this recipe!

Gundi is a cross between a dumpling and meatball. The most popular type is made from chicken and roasted chickpea flour. They are traditional in chicken soup for Shabbos dinner.

Ingredients:

Meatballs-
1 pound ground chicken, turkey, lamb, or lean veal; or 8 ounces ground chicken and 8 ounces ground beef or veal
2 cups roasted chickpea flour
2 medium yellow onions, grated
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or 1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
About 1 teaspoon table salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt
about 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
About 2 tablespoons water

Soup-
1 1/2 to 2 quarts chicken soup
1 pound (4 medium) boiling potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon lemon juice or tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt to taste
1 to 2 cups cooked chickpeas (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients, adding enough water to form a mixture that is smooth but not sticky. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours. Using moistened hands, shape into smooth 1-inch balls.
2. In a large pot, bring the chicken soup to a boil. Add the potatoes, lemon juice, turmeric, and salt to a simmer for 30 minutes. Add the gundi and, if using, chickpeas, cover, and simmer until the gundi are tender, about 40 minutes.

Meat. Yields 18 meatballs.

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