Perfect with drinks: Burghul balls with spicy herbs
The Suryoye (also known as Assyrians or Arameans) are one of the oldest population groups in the Middle East. In the cookbook Haniyé, Matay de Mayee has collected the recipes of his mother, Smuni Turan. In her kitchen, the world’s oldest recorded Suryoye recipes are the common thread. As a result, Haniyé – meaning enjoy your meal in Aramaic – is a unique cookbook filled with special recipes. These bulgur balls are actually a salad kneaded into balls.
Matay: “Burghul balls are delicious savoury snacks to serve with drinks. We make them with wheat and vegetables, so they are also ideal for vegetarians and vegans. They are actually a burghul salad, but kneaded into a firm kind of dough with spicy herbs and drizzled with lemon juice. You can knead them into balls, but an elongated shape also works, like a croquette, or simply spread out on your plate. I prefer to eat itj (pronounced: ietsch) with drinks, but my family also enjoys it as a snack.”
How to make burghul balls
- Heat the olive oil in a deep pan and sauté half of the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Set aside the other half of the onion.
- Turn the heat to low and stir the burghul, tomato purée, ground cumin, paprika, sambal, white pepper and salt into the onion mixture. Pour in the boiling water, stir well, bring everything to a boil and then turn off the heat. Leave the burghul to cool for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the cooled burghul to a large bowl and add the bell pepper, extra virgin olive oil, parsley and reserved onion. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Knead the itj with your hands until you have an even, supple dough. Shape into balls or long croquettes of approximately 8 cm.
- Drizzle the itj with plenty of lemon juice for a fresh, tangy flavour and serve on a platter. Sprinkle with some extra parsley if desired.
Title: Haniyé
Author: Matay de Mayee
Price: €33,99
Publisher: Fontaine Uitgevers
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