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Meatballs in a saucepan

Meatballs Braised in a Pot

Simple, tasty, and filling—a perfect weeknight dinner. These tender, savory meatballs will win over eaters big and small. The beauty of meatballs is how well they pair with just about any side or sauce. Use whatever ground meat you like for the base, or blend two kinds.

Svetlana

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Ground meat

500

Rice

Carrots

150

Tomato paste

Water

300

Salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 24 % 7 g

Fats 52 % 15 g

Carbohydrates 24 % 7 g

194 kcal

GI: 25 / 75 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

To make the meatballs, we first need to cook the rice. Start by rinsing it well under water. This washes away any dust and starch. Cover the rice with cold water, swirl it gently with your hand, and pour off the cloudy liquid. Add fresh water and repeat until the water runs clear.
Step 2:

After rinsing, cook the rice. Combine the rice and ground meat and mix them together. Season with salt. Feel free to add your favorite spices—coriander, basil, garlic, or a peppercorn blend. You can also work in some green onion, dill, or parsley. Mix everything well and start shaping the meatballs. It's easiest to do this with wet hands. I usually keep a deep bowl of cold water nearby and dip my hands in it after forming each meatball.
Step 3:

To keep the meatballs from scorching on the bottom of the pot, spread a layer of coarsely grated fresh carrot across it. You can use cabbage leaves instead of carrot—just lay them on the bottom the same way.
Step 4:

Now arrange the meatballs on top of the vegetables, ideally in a single layer. If your pot is narrow and you have a lot of meatballs, you can stack them in two layers—just add more grated carrot (or cabbage leaves) between them.
Step 5:

For the braising liquid, we'll use water and tomato paste. You can swap the tomato paste for ketchup, or even use sour cream or mayonnaise. Stir the water and tomato paste together and season with a little salt. Pour it over the meatballs. Toss in a couple of bay leaves for extra flavor if you like. Set the pot on the stove. Cook the meatballs for about 40 minutes; once the liquid comes to a boil, lower the heat.

Serve these meatballs over pasta, mashed potatoes, steamed rice, or buckwheat—or alongside a fresh vegetable salad. They pair well with almost anything, so finding a side is easy. Sprinkle them with chopped herbs, dill, or parsley. Enjoy!