Meatless Herby Persian-Style “Meatballs” (Kufteh Sabzī)

• 5/8 cup yellow lentils small, split peas
• 7/8 cup arborio or other short-grain glutinous rice
• 3 tablespoons barberries picked over, rinsed and drained
• 5 1/3 tablespoons parsley each of, coriander, mint leaves and chives, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 1/2 tablespoons dried dill
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin I used Persian black cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 small eggs lightly beaten, or enough to bind the mix
• 15 prunes
• 10 walnut halves
• 4 tablespoons oil I like extra-virgin rapeseed oil or olive oil
• 2 red onions large, or 3 medium, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or granules
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• salt to taste
• chilli powder to taste, optional
• 4 tablespoons tomato puree you may have to use more if your puree is not thick
• boiling water about 2 1/2 litres or enough to submerge the meatballs.

1. Put the lentils in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat to medium low and cook until almost but not completely soft. Rinse in a sieve and drain well.
2. Put the rice in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover by about 1 1/2 centimetres. Stir and bring to the boil. Cook over medium heat until all the water is absorbed and rice is almost soft. Let cool.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chopped onions until golden brown. Add the turmeric and stir. Cook for a minute or two. Set aside.
4. Put the rice, eggs, herbs, barberries and spices in a bowl. Mix very well by hand and knead very lightly until the mix is sticky and holds its shape when rolled into a ball. Divide into ten portions.
5. Wet your hands and roll each portion of the mixture into a ball about the size of a medium tomato. With your thumb make a hole in each ball and put a walnut stuffed prune and a little of the caramelised onions (about 1/4 tsp for each) in the hole. With your fingers push the mixture back over the stuffing and roll again to completely cover the stuffing. With slightly wet hands roll the balls between palms to make the surface smooth so the rice mix holds together during cooking. Set the meatballs on a plate.
6. Transfer the caramelised onions to a lidded saucepan that's big enough to submerge the meatballs. Add the spices for the sauce and the tomato puree and cook for a couple of minutes over medium heat. Pour in the boiling water and bring to the boil again, lower the heat so that the sauce boils gently.
7. Drop each meatball in the sauce and wait for the sauce to return to gentle boil before dropping the next meatball in. Cook uncovered for five minutes after all the meatballs are in the sauce, then add the remaining prunes, cover and turn the heat down to low.
8. Simmer the meatballs at least for forty-five minutes without moving the meatballs around. Continue cooking if the sauce is too thin. When the sauce has thickened to your liking correct the seasoning and simmer for a few more minutes. Enjoy!
9. PS: A little bit of the rice and herbs will eventually get into the sauce but that's OK. It will thicken the sauce and add to its flavour.

yellow lentils small, arborio, barberries, parsley, salt, dill, ground cumin, ground black pepper, sweet paprika, turmeric, eggs, prunes, walnut, oil i, red onions, turmeric, garlic, sweet paprika, black pepper, salt, chilli powder, tomato puruee, boiling water

Taken from www.yummly.com/recipe/Meatless-Herby-Persian-Style-Meatballs-_kufteh-sabzi_-1364000 (may not work)