Image above was courtesy of Candice Walker of Proportional Plate.
Below is a recipe from Floura Malekan's kitchen. This dish is unique to Iran’s Jewish community and can be served as an appetizer or part of a Friday Shabbat meal.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE SOUP
· 6 cups chicken broth
· 1 tsp. turmeric
· 1 tsp. cardamom
· Pinch of salt and black pepper
· 2-3 dried Persian limes (optional)
· 1 can of cooked chickpeas, drained and washed
FOR THE GONDI
· 2 cups chickpea flour*
· 1 ½ lbs. ground chicken thigh
· 2 medium white onions, grated
· ½ cup vegetable oil
· 1 tbs. turmeric
· 1 tbs. salt
· 1 tbs. cumin
· 1 tsp. black pepper
· 1 tsp. cardamom
*Chickpea flour can be found in Middle Eastern and many health food chain markets. This dish is gluten-free.
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Put all the soup ingredients in a large pot and place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and cook until the gondi is prepared.
2) In a large bowl, mix the gondi ingredients by hand. Fill a separate small bowl with water and increase the chicken soup pot heat to medium-high. Wet your hands and form 1-to 1.5-inch balls of the mixture and drop them gently into the soup.
3) Bring the soup back to a boil, reduce the heat and cover the pot, and cook for 45 minutes.
4) Serve the gondi and soup over a bed of basmati rice or enjoy with pita bread.
This recipe first appeared in Jewish National Fund-USA’s 2021 Winter B’Yachad magazine. To read the full B’Yachad, please click here.
