Stuffed rice balls come in many different variations. You can also boil potatoes or lentils with rice or mix the egg directly into the rice.
ABOUT 20 PIECES
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups (380 g) round-grain rice
- About 4 cups (1 liter) water
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 18 ounces (500 g) ground lamb
- A total of ⅖ cup (43 g) blanched almonds (or pine nuts) and raisins, mixed
- 1 small celery, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: cinnamon and nutmeg
- 1 egg
- Frying oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Rinse the rice and cook it gently in water with turmeric.
- Pour out any excess liquid.
- Place the rice in a bowl and work it with your hands until it becomes like a dough.
- Mix the ground lamb with the chopped almonds (or whole pine nuts), raisins, and chopped celery.
- Season with salt and pepper, and possibly cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Moisten your hands with water and shape balls out of the rice.
- Make a hole at one end with a finger and fill it with a little bit of the ground meat blend.
- Seal the hole and shape into an oval ball with two pointed ends.
- Brush with beaten egg, and fry a few at a time in the oil until they turn beautifully golden brown.
