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Kololak
Beef and rice meatballs in broth
Kololak: Gyumri beef and rice meatballs simmered in broth
ArmenianKololak are the big, soft meatballs of Gyumri, Armenia's second city, where they are cooked for family Sunday dinners: very finely minced beef is beaten with rice, onion and egg until smooth and springy, shaped into balls the size of a small orange and simmered in a light broth with tomato and herbs. The broth is served first as soup, the meatballs after. A common mistake is skipping the long kneading, which makes the meatballs crumble in the pot. Chef's tip: wet your hands with cold water while shaping, and lower the balls into broth that is only just simmering, so they hold together. Minced meat must reach 71 °C in the centre.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 ½ lb lean beef minceminced twice if possible
- 2 ⅛ oz short-grain ricerinsed and soaked 20 minutes
- 1 oniongrated
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp cold water
For the broth
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 carrotdiced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅔ oz fresh parsley and dillchopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Knead 1 ½ lb lean beef mince, drained 2 ⅛ oz short-grain rice, 1 onion, 1 egg, 1 ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and 3 tbsp cold water for 5 minutes, slapping the mixture against the bowl, until smooth and sticky. Common mistake: a quick mix; they fall apart.
5 minStep 2: With wet hands, shape into 12 balls.
Step 3: Bring 6 ¼ cups water to a simmer with 2 tbsp tomato purée, 1 carrot, 1 bay leaf and 1 tsp salt.
Step 4: Lower the meatballs in gently, bring back to a bare simmer and cook partly covered for 45 minutes, until firm and the centres read 160°F.
45 minStep 5: Stir ⅔ oz fresh parsley and dill into the broth and serve the broth in bowls, then the meatballs.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kololak take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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