MEATBALLS WITH POTATOS (PATATESLI SULU KOFTE)

This recipe is a cross between a soup and a stew. Great for dipping bread into the juice.  I usually add both potatos and carrots but I skipped the carrots this time only because I forgot to buy them this week. "What do you serve with?" you ask. Bread of course for dipping in the juice; and either spaghetti or cooked rice with a side order of salad or cacik (yogurt and cucumber mix).

1/2 kilogram lean ground beef

1/3 cup rice

3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 onions

2-3 potatos

2 carrots

1 egg

salt, blackpepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons cooking oil

3 tablespoons flour

water

• First get your vegetables ready. Peel and cut carrots and potatos and set aside.
• Then make your meatballs by mixing together ground beef, 1 chopped onion, parsley, egg, rice, salt and pepper. If you like, you can let it sit in the fridge half an hour so it is easier to handle when making the meatballs.
• Take small pieces from the ground and make into small balls.
• Put flour on a plate and roll the meatballs in flour. You don't need to do this individually.  Just spread the flour on a plate, put all the meatballs on the flour and shake the plate a little.  Meatballs will roll around on their own but make sure they are all covered lightly.
• In a medium sized pan, put olive oil the second chopped onion and the meatballs and fry the meatballs without breaking them. You can use a wooden spoon to turn them over.
• Mix 1 cup of water with tomato paste and bring to boil. Add in vegetables. Reduce heat and cook until vegetables are soft
• You may need to add more water. This dish should be a bit watery.