5 from 2 votes
Chiftele
Chiftele are delicious traditional Romanian meatballs, prepared with meat that is ground with raw vegetables before being fried.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
Servings:
6
people
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Romanian
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb lamb ground
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ bunch dill
- ½ bunch parsley
- 2 egg lightly beaten
- 1 small potato
- 1 carrot
- 1 talk celery
- 1 lice bread , soaked in water
- salt
- black pepper
- nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons water (cold)
- flour (for dusting)
- vegetable oil (for frying)
For the sauce
- 2 scallions , grated
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 tomato
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ bunch parsley , finely chopped
- ½ green bell pepper , cut into strips
- 1 red bell pepper , cut into strips
- 1 green hot pepper , sliced
- ½ cup water
- pearl onions optional, a few
- cherry tomatoes optional, a few
Instructions
Meatballs
- In the food processor, chop meat, onion, garlic, dill, parsley, potatoes, celery and carrot.
- Sprinkle with nutmeg.
- Stir in bread, cold water and eggs by hand.
- Add salt and pepper.
- Thoroughly mix the preparation and set it aside for 30 minutes by working it several times by hand.
- Grease your hands and form smooth round balls, about the size of a large walnut (about 1 oz/30g) and roll in flour.
- Fry the meatballs in a large frying pan over medium heat one minute on each side. They should be half submerged in oil.
- Drain and set aside.
Cup of Yum
Sauce
- Peel, core and cut the tomatoes into small cubes.
- Sauté onions over medium heat.
- Add all the other ingredients except the pearl onions and cherry tomatoes.
- Mix well.
- When it is boiling again, dip the meatballs in the sauce and cook for 45 minutes (15 minutes over medium heat and 30 minutes over low heat to simmer).
- 15 minutes before end of cooking, add the pearl onions and cherry tomatoes in the sauce.