PERSIAN MEATBALLS WITH BEET SAUCE - Israeli Soul, p. 249
The unusual sauce is what drew me to this recipe. Beets with tamarind and pomegranate molasses? Had to try it. The meatballs are made in a similar way to the kebab recipes. This time the seasonings are onion, cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt and parsley. Like the kebabs, this recipe calls for a little bit of seltzer to be added to the mix, and once again, I omitted it. My concern with it was that with the Impossible ground, it would make the meatballs less likely to hold together. And tenderness, or lack thereof, is never really an issue with the Impossible. Anyway, you make up these meatballs and brown them in oil in a Dutch oven, then remove from the pot and set aside. Use the same pot (and oil) to make your sauce.
For the sauce, you sauté onion and garlic. Add tamarind paste and pomegranate molasses. Then add your beets, chicken broth, and finally the meatballs. These simmer in a low oven for 45 minutes. Then you remove the meatballs from the pot, and reduce the beet sauce. Return the meatballs to the pot to coat with sauce. Serve garnished with mint.
When an author says “tamarind paste” I think they are referring to the very concentred, thick, dark stuff. That is not something I use. For this, I used a tamarind concentrate that is a lighter brown and looser consistency. I went heavy with it because I think the author intended something more concentrated here.
I was pleasantly surprised by this dish. We loved it! The pomegranate and tamarind balanced out both the sweetness and earthiness of the beets, but not so much that you ended up with a pickled beet sort of acidity. It was perfect, really. I highly recommend it. I forgot the mint garnish for the photo, but remembered it before serving. This is a case where the herb garnish really adds something extra to the dish. The mint is a great counterpoint to the beet sauce.
