Saed News: Shofteh Araki is one of the traditional and very delicious dishes rooted in the rich culinary culture of Iran. People from Arak usually serve Shofteh Araki, which is essentially a type of meatball, during celebrations and special days.
Required Ingredients:
Aromatic herbs (tarragon, marjoram, dill, mint) as needed
Ground meat (amount as needed)
How to Make Shofteh Araki - Local Dish:
Step 1: Preparing the Onion and Carrot
First, grate two onions finely. Then, squeeze the juice from the onions and set it aside. Peel the carrots and grate them in the same way.
Step 2: Chopping the Aromatic Herbs
Next, finely chop the aromatic herbs, including tarragon, marjoram, dill, and mint, using a knife. Fresh herbs are recommended, but you can use dried herbs if fresh ones are unavailable.
Step 3: Preparing the Meat Mixture
Place the ground meat in a large bowl. Add the grated onions and carrots, chickpea flour, chopped aromatic herbs, and spices including salt, black pepper, and turmeric. Mix all the ingredients well and knead them until you get a uniform and cohesive mixture.
Step 4: Shaping the Meatballs
After kneading, take portions of the meat mixture and shape them into meatballs using your hands. Continue this until all the mixture is used. Make sure all the meatballs are of uniform size and shape.
Step 5: Briefly Frying the Meatballs
Heat some oil in a large pan over medium heat. Place the prepared meatballs in the pan and briefly sauté each side until their color changes slightly. This step helps the meatballs retain their shape while cooking in the sauce.
Step 6: Preparing the Sauce
Chop the remaining onion into small cubes and sauté it in another pan with some oil. Add black pepper, turmeric, and tomato paste, and sauté until the paste changes color. Then, add flour and stir to eliminate the raw taste of the flour. Add two cups of boiling water to the pan and let the sauce come to a boil.
Step 7: Final Cooking of Shofteh Araki
Add the meatballs to the sauce and also add a mixture of vinegar, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir well, reduce the heat, and let the Shofteh Araki simmer on low heat for about half an hour until the sauce thickens. Once this step is done, Shofteh Araki is ready to be served. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks for Making Shofteh Araki:
Some people add diced potatoes to the sauce of Shofteh Araki.
If desired, you can use more lemon juice for flavor and omit the vinegar.
You can replace the aromatic herbs like tarragon, marjoram, dill, and mint with chopped parsley.
When making Shofteh Araki, add enough chickpea flour so that the meatballs don't stick to your hands and become firm like Tabrizi meatballs.
If you prefer, you can skip the frying step and directly add the meatballs to the sauce. For this, wait until the sauce comes to a boil and then add the meatballs.
You can add some barberries to the Shofteh Araki sauce for extra flavor.
Keep in mind that the sauce for Shofteh Araki should be thick and not watery.
To enhance the color of the sauce, you can add a bit of saffron to the dish.
Shofteh Araki is traditionally served with bread, but you can also serve it with rice. If serving with rice, you can make the sauce a bit more diluted.
For serving, you can place the dish on a platter, pour the sauce on top, and garnish with freshly chopped herbs.
For making Shofteh or Koofteh Araki, it’s best to use lamb meat or a combination of lamb and beef.
Traditionally, many people in Arak use lamb fat oil to fry the meatballs, believing it enhances the flavor of the dish. However, you can use any type of oil you prefer.
Arakis typically serve Shofteh Araki with strained yogurt, fresh herbs, and freshly baked stone bread.
If you are someone who enjoys trying new flavors and diverse dishes, it’s highly recommended to try traditional dishes from Arak, and start making Shofteh Araki right away.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How many calories are in each Shofteh Araki?
Shofteh Araki is a delicious traditional dish from Arak, and each large meatball in this dish contains approximately 330 calories.
Why should the meat be kneaded well when making Shofteh Araki?
Kneading the meat mixture thoroughly, like other types of meatballs, ensures that the meat becomes cohesive and doesn’t break apart during cooking.
