21 Oct Tefteli – Slavic Meatballs Simmered in Tomato Sauce

Almost every culture has its version of meatballs. In Ukraine, Russia, and many other Slavic countries, we call them tefteli. Tefteli (tefteli – plural, teftel’ – singular) are made with a mixture of ground meat, onion, and rice and simmered in tomato or sour cream sauce. They are great with creamy mashed potato, kasha (cooked grains), or mamalyga (Slavic polenta). I always find myself craving tefteli when the weather is getting colder, and my body needs something comforting to warm up.

The ingredients for these Slavic meatballs are very straight forward, just some good-quality ground beef and pork, finely chopped onion, parboiled white rice (any type will do, really), and a pinch of salt and pepper. For the sauce, I usually use a large yellow onion, a 16 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, and a bit of heavy cream and sugar to tone down the acidity. Despite its modest appearance, this dish is full of flavor and an excellent option for a casual weeknight dinner. Among other pluses, it’s easy to scale, you can cook it in one pan, and it’s also freezer friendly.

I always use one trick to make my tefteli extra flavorful – I sear on them on all sides before adding to the sauce. This way, the taste will get more complex and intense. I sear the tefteli in a deep pan, and when they are golden-brown outside, I transfer them to a platter and saute the onion in the same pan. Finely chopped onion has a lot of juice, which helps to deglaze the pan and to keep all those delicious bits of caramelized meat in the sauce. I hope you’re already drooling over the photos, and without further ado, here is my tefteli recipe.

Oh, one more thing before I forgot, here is a couple more comforting dishes you might like: Shkmeruli – Georgian Chicken Cooked in Milk and Garlic and Georgian Satsivi. Enjoy!