Go Back
–+ servings
Armenian soup with butter-filled meatballs (basselah)

Madzoon ov Kofte

Armenian Yogurt Soup with Meatballs
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Armenian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Kufta: Next 8 ingredients
  • 1 ½ lb. extra lean ground beef or lamb
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • dash of red pepper
  • 1 cup fine bulgur wheat #1 coarseness
  • 1 cup finely minced onion
  • 1-1 ½ cups ice water
  • 1 cube butter cut into ¼ inch cubes, chilled
  • Butter seasonings: sprinkle with black pepper all-spice and a bit of ground cloves
  • Broth: Next 10 ingredients
  • 2 cartons 32 oz. chicken broth
  • 2 cups plain 2% or whole-fat yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon dry mint
  • 1-1 ½ T butter
  • 2 egg
  • 1 can garbanzo beans
  • salt to taste

Method
 

  1. For the kufta balls (meatballs): Place raw meat into a food processor and grind until very fine.
  2. Remove meat from processor and then mince onions. Combine the meat, minced onions and a little ice water. Then add bulgur wheat. combine all ingredients and then slowly add enough ice water until the meat mixture is the right consistency to form meatballs (must hold its shape).
  3. Cut a stick of chilled butter into thirds lengthwise and then cut each third into halves. Then cut strips of butter cross-wise to form ¼ inch cubes. Sprinkle cubes of butter with a little bit of black pepper, all-spice and cloves (very small amount).
  4. Take about a tablespoon of meat mixture and roll into a ball. Then place your thumb into the ball and round meat mixture around your thumb to make an opening for the butter. Place a ¼ inch cube of butter into each ball and then close up the meatball and roll again until uniformly round.
  5. Make sure it is sealed well, and use ice water to wet your fingers as you make the kufta, to help smooth the shape.
  6. For the broth: In a large stock pot, heat the chicken broth.
  7. In a separate bowl, whisk 2 eggs into 2 cups of plain yogurt. Temper the mixture by adding a ladleful at a time of chicken broth, then stirring it. Once diluted by chicken broth, pour all the yogurt broth mixture into the stock pot.
  8. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add dry mint and sauté just until mint is softened. Then add mixture to the stock pot.
  9. Then bring the yogurt broth to a bowl, and then to a simmer. Stir periodically.
  10. Drain liquid from the can of garbanzo beans and rinse them. Then add them to the broth.
  11. Next add the kufta balls, a few at a time. When the kufta balls rise to the top, simmer a few minutes more or until cooked through.

Notes

Remove the kufta balls from the broth if not eating immediately and when storing leftovers in the refrigerator.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!