Afghan Friday-Night Chicken and Chickpea Soupy Stew with Meatballs and Uzbeki Barsch

We are in the midst of an infatuation with soups and stews at our house. Maybe it's the time of year or just that there are so many that look and end up tasting so good. Last week we tried a Yemeni soupy-stew and this week is the Afghan version. This stew is poultry-only and is an amazing dish to serve to guests since it includes meatballs. The Uzbeki barsch makes good use of the remainder of the cliantro used in the soup. Leafy herbs are in-season now in California, so both of these dishes make good use of what's in season. This also signals that spring and a new crop of abundant fruits and vegetables are on their way!

Meatballs, or koofteh, of all sort are extremely popular in Middle-Eastern cooking. Where we westerners associate meatballs with simple, inexpensive spaghetti, koofteh are given an almost royal status and served as an, "...only the finest," dish to your guests.

Given that meat was rare in ancient times and modern-day food grinders didn't yet exist, the most likely origin of meatballs was as a use for leftover meat. Language also gives some clues to their origin, as well. Koofteh -- the Persian word for pounded meat -- is a derivative of the word koobidand, or 'to pound'. The word kofteh is used throughout the Middle East, and carries through to Central Asia, showing from where the idea of meatballs may have spread.

Barsh is a gentler, rice-based casserole, best served with a salad or steamed veggies. Most of the flavor comes from the herbs included in the recipe -- dill, mint, cliantro and parsley. This casserole is an Israeli version of the steamed Uzbeki dish.

Chelov - Afghan Friday-Night Chicken and Chickpea Soupy Stew with Meatballs (30 minutes prep, 2 hours cooking)
Yield: 8-10 servings















Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpeas
• 3-4 beef soup bones
• 1 small cornish game hen
• 10 cups water
• 2-3 dried limes, pierced (optional -- these are Iraqi dried limes from Basra, see photo)
• 2 cups chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup chopped leeks (about 1 large leek)
• 1 cup chopped celery leaves (or 3 chopped stems if you can't find celery with the leaves)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 carrots, cut into rounds
• 1 turnip, cut into rounds
• 1 potato, quartered and then sliced into 1" triangular pieces
  
• 1 lb. ground turkey breast meat
• 1/2 large onion, grated
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. bread crumbs
  
• Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

Instructions:

1. Soak the chickpeas in water to cover for several hours, or overnight. Drain.
2. Put the soup bones and the chicken in a large soup pot and add the water. If you like, prick the dried limes and add. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam that rises to the top.
3. Add the chickpeas and simmer, covered for 1 hour.
4. Add 1 cup of the cilantro, the leeks, celery leaves, carrots, turnip, potato, salt, pepper and turmeric. Return to a simmer.
5. To make the meatballs, mix together the ground turkey, onion, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste, and bread crumbs. With wet hands, form balls the size of walnuts and drop into the soup. Let simmer for another 10 minutes.
6. Add the remaining cilantro and simmer 10 minutes more. Adjust the seasonings and serve in soup bowls with a squeeze of the lemon juice. Serve over (Basmati) rice.

Uzbeki Barsch - Holiday Pilau with Cilantro, Parsley, Mint and Dill (20 minutes prep, 30-40 minutes total) Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 diced onion
• 1 lb. ground or chopped beef, liver or lamb (I prefer chopped lamb)
• 1 tsp. salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. pepper, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron strands
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh dill

Instructions:

1. heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the meat and stir constantly, breaking up any lumps.
   
2. Reduce the heat and add the salt, pepper and saffron. Continue cooking slowly, covered for another 10 minutes.
3. While the onions and meat are cooking, rinse and drain the rice three times (or until the water runs clear).
4. Pour 2 cups of the water into the meat and bring to a boil. Add 3/4 each of the cilantro and parsley; 1/4 each of the mint and dill. Simmer, covered for another 10 minutes
5. Add the rice. Press down so that the water covers the Barsch by an inch, adding the remaining cup (or more) of water, if necessary. Bring to a boil, cover and then lower the heat. Usually, I wrap a tea towel around the lid and bind it at the top, then cover while cooking rice. This helps to absorb moisture and keep the rice fluffy (see photo). Be careful to not burn the towel when cooking like this!
6. Just before serving sprinkle the remaining herbs and serve immediately.