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A bowl of köfte bozbash: one large meatball and a potato in red-orange broth, sprinkled with dried mint

One-Minute Dish · Azerbaijani

Köfte bozbash

One big meatball with a whole egg inside, simmered in broth with chickpeas and potato. Mix, shape, simmer, serve.

By · Published · Last reviewed

1 hr

total · 15 min hands-on

4

steps

3

bowls, one meatball each

Plan ahead

Night before: soak the chickpeas, move the ground meat from freezer to fridge.

How it looks

Mixed beef and lamb with rice in a steel bowl, peeled boiled eggs and soaked chickpeas beside it
01 · Everything ready: the meat, boiled eggs, soaked chickpeas
Taking a handful of the meat mixture from the bowl
02 · A third of the meat per ball
A peeled boiled egg pressed into a flattened round of meat in my hand
03 · Egg in the middle
A large round meatball held in both hands
04 · Closed and rolled smooth
Chickpeas and a meatball simmering in red-orange broth
05 · Simmering with the chickpeas
A bowl of köfte bozbash with a potato, broth and dried mint, a small dish of dried mint beside it
06 · Served, with dried mint
Tap to keep your screen on while you cook.

Ingredients

Plan ahead · the night before

I buy meat in bulk, grind and portion it, and freeze it. The night before, one portion goes into the fridge.

Meatballs

Pot

Steps

  1. Step 1: Mix

    Boil the eggs for 10 minutes while you mix the beef, lamb, grated onion, rinsed rice, salt and pepper by hand until it holds together. Cool and peel the eggs.

    10 min

    Mixed beef and lamb with rice in a steel bowl, peeled boiled eggs and soaked chickpeas beside it

  2. Step 2: Shape

    Flatten a third of the meat in your palm, set an egg in the middle and close the meat around it. Roll it smooth with wet hands so there are no cracks.

    5 min

    A peeled boiled egg pressed into a flattened round of meat in my hand

  3. Step 3: Simmer

    Bring the chickpeas and water to a boil and skim. Lower in the meatballs and potatoes, stir in the tomato paste, and simmer gently with the lid ajar. It’s done when the rice inside the meat is soft.

    45 min

    Chickpeas and a meatball simmering in red-orange broth

  4. Step 4: Serve

    One meatball, a potato and chickpeas per bowl, plenty of broth, and a pinch of dried mint on top.

    A bowl of köfte bozbash with a potato, broth and dried mint, a small dish of dried mint beside it

Make it your way

  • Sour plum

    Swap the egg for a dried sour plum (alça) in the center.

  • Both

    Egg in the middle, a couple of sour plums pressed in around it.

  • Mint inside

    Some mix dried mint into the meat. I keep it for the top.

1 hr · 4 steps

See, that was easy.

The story behind it

Köfte bozbash (you’ll also see it spelled kufta bozbash) is one of the dishes I grew up on in Azerbaijan. Word for word, the name means something like “meatball gray head”, which makes no sense in English. My guess: each meatball is big and round, like a head.

Every family makes it a little differently: an egg in the middle, a sour dried plum, or both. I mix lamb into the beef for flavour and add rice and grated onion so the meat stays juicy.

It only takes an hour because of the planning. I buy meat in bulk, grind and portion it, and freeze it. The night before, one portion goes into the fridge and the chickpeas go into water.

A new dish every week

One dish and what to plan ahead for it, every week. Nothing else.