Persian-Influenced Meatballs

• 1 lb ground beef (can sub lamb or beef or lamb in combination)
• 14 cup rice meal (I used basmati rice that was ground to meal consistency in a spice mill)
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 teaspoon dried rose petals, crumbled with your fingers
• 14 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 18 teaspoon saffron thread, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (you can sub fresh mint if you hate cilantro)
• 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley
• 12 teaspoon salt
• 12 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons date molasses (aka dibs tamar)
• 2 tablespoons dried barberries
• 13 cup finely minced yellow onion
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons almonds, chopped (can sub pistachios or walnuts)
• plain yogurt
• date molasses
• saffron thread
• dried rose petals

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine all the meatball ingredients in a mixing bowl.
3. Mix just until combine.
4. Shape into about 18 meatballs and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes or until brown.
6. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with a bowl of plain yogurt.
7. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the date molasses on top of the yogurt (do not stir the date molasses into the yogurt) and garnish with a few saffron threads and a light crumble of dried rose petals.

ground beef, rice meal, egg, petals, ground cinnamon, saffron thread, fresh cilantro, fresh italian parsley, salt, cracked black pepper, molasses, barberries, yellow onion, garlic, almonds, yogurt, molasses, saffron thread, petals

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/persian-influenced-meatballs-505786 (may not work)