Welcome to a taste of classic Eastern European comfort food! Tefteli are wonderfully tender meatballs, often made with rice mixed right into the meat, which keeps them incredibly moist and light. This recipe features chicken tefteli, gently steamed to perfection and then simmered in a rich, savory tomato and vegetable sauce. It's a wholesome, all-in-one meal that brings warmth and flavor to the family table. Simple to prepare yet packed with deliciousness, these meatballs are sure to become a new favorite in your home.
Tefteli with Rice in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients for Tefteli with Rice in Tomato Sauce
- 450 g ground chicken
- 50 g rice
- 15 g butter
- 1 egg
- 4 stalks of young garlic (or green garlic)
- 1/2 tsp sweet ground paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- salt to taste
For the tomato sauce:
- 50 g green onions
- 100 g lukovaya ikra (a savory onion spread) or tomato ketchup
- 200 g tomatoes
- vegetable oil, salt
How to Make Tefteli with Rice in Tomato Sauce
Any ground chicken works for tefteli (soft, tender meatballs), but it’s best to make it yourself, which is very simple: separate the meat from the bones of a chicken breast, remove the skin, and chop it into small cubes or grind it in a meat grinder. It’s reassuring to know that your ground meat is made from a whole piece of meat, without any unnecessary additives.
Mincing the chicken meat for the ground mixture
Rinse the rice several times in cold water. In a small saucepan, pour in water (one part rice to one part water), add the butter and the rinsed rice. Cook, covered, for 10-12 minutes until fully cooked. Let it cool, then add it to the ground meat.
Adding cooked and cooled rice
Finely chop the young garlic stalks and place them in a bowl. Instead of stalks, you can use garlic scapes while they are young and tender; it will be very delicious.
Chopping garlic scapes and leaves
Crack a raw chicken egg into the bowl.
Cracking a chicken egg
Season the meat mixture—add sweet ground paprika, about one teaspoon of coarse salt, and dried thyme, which is a great substitute for the well-known culinary herb.
Adding spices and salt, mixing the ground meat
Mix the ground meat mixture well and form large, round tefteli. Steam them for 12 minutes. You can use a regular pot with a colander and a lid if you don’t have special equipment, or cook using any convenient method: in a multicooker, a steamer, or a microwave.
Forming the tefteli and steaming them
Now, let’s make the sauce. Heat vegetable oil (about 10 ml) in a sauté pan or skillet. Add finely chopped green onions and any vegetable puree—lukovaya ikra (a savory onion spread), ovoshchnaya ikra (a savory vegetable spread), or thick tomato ketchup will work well. Finely chop fresh tomatoes and add them to the pan. Simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, salting to taste. When the tomatoes have turned into a smooth paste, the sauce is ready.
Making the tomato gravy for the tefteli
Place the cooked tefteli into the tomato sauce and heat everything together for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, allowing the meat and vegetables to absorb each other’s juices.
Reheating the cooked tefteli with rice in the tomato sauce
Sprinkle the dish with green onions and serve hot immediately. All that’s left is to slice some fresh bread. You can even eat it straight from the skillet—it tastes better that way.
Sprinkling the tefteli in tomato sauce with green onions and serving
And there you have it—a skillet full of comforting, flavorful tefteli ready to be enjoyed! This dish is traditionally served hot, often with a dollop of smetana (sour cream) on top to add a cool, creamy contrast to the warm tomato sauce. Don't forget a side of fresh, crusty bread to soak up all the delicious juices. We hope this recipe brings a touch of Eastern European warmth to your kitchen and creates a memorable meal for you and your loved ones. Enjoy!
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