As I have mentioned before, Greek kitchen has borrowed many of its dishes from that of the Middle Eastern and Asia Minor. One of the dishes Greeks brought with them when they came as refugees from Turkey was Giouvarlakia.
The name derives from the Turkish word yuvarlak or yuvarlak kofte and it can be found in Greek, Cypriot and Turkish kitchen.
The meatballs are made with ground beef mixed with rice, onion, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper, egg and just a bit of bread. We form the balls and add them in boiling water or broth. The fire should be middle and the boiling should not be intense but to the slow so as not for the balls to fall apart. In a different pot we make the avgolemono sauce and pour it over them and serve while they are warm.
It is a delicious dish that can be eaten in all seasons but I prefer to make it during fall or winter. It is nutritious and hearty and it is very appropriate especially for people under the weather. When I was a child and I was sick my mom used to make giouvarlakia and chicken soup. These two, she valued them very much for she believed to their therapeutic properties.
Although the weather is still warm around here, at nights the chill obliges you to put a light jacket and a lot of people are feeling a bit under the weather. I was one of them this past weekend, not something serious, but a minor fatigue and a slightly congested nose. So, giouvarlakia were in order to help me feel better and be able to cope with my heavy daily schedule the coming week.
I highly recommend this dish not only because it is truly delicious and hearty, but also because it is made in very short period of time which is priceless during busy weekdays and weeknights. It only takes about an hour and your family can enjoy the most wonderful meal.
- ½ kilo / 1 pound ground beef
- 110 gr. Karolina rice (it is a medium grain rice we use a lot for soups and gemista. You can make them with Arborio or Carnaroli rice)
- 1 egg
- 1 slice of bread,
- 1 onion, chopped
- ⅓ cup of olive oil
- A small bunch of parsley
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cups of beef stock
- 1 ½ cup milk
- 1 egg, slightly whisked
- 1 cup juice from the meatballs
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 3 tbsp corn starch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
- Salt and pepper
- In a bowl full of water put the slice of bread and soak it.
- Squeeze it to drain it and make crumbles.
- In a bowl mix all the ingredients plus the bread crumbles except the stock and form small balls equal to a golf ball.
- In a pot pour the stock and bring to boil.
- Lower heat to medium/low and add carefully the meatballs.
- Cook about 30 to 40 minutes.
- In a medium pot pour the milk and bring to boil.
- Pour the one cup juice from the giouvarlakia, the corn starch and start whisking until the batter starts to thicken.
- Lower fire to medium/low and remove the pot from the fire.
- Add the eggs and the lemon juice whisking constantly.
- Bring back the pot to fire and whisk for a minute.
- Remove and pour the avgolemono to the meatballs.
- Do not whisk just move the pan around so as for the avgolemono to cover all the balls.
- Serve while warm.
- ½ κιλό κιμά μοσχαρίσιο
- 110 γρ. Ρύζι Καρολίνα
- 1 αυγό
- 1 φέτα ψωμί
- 1 κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
- ⅓ φλ. ελαιόλαδο
- Ένα μικρό ματσάκι μαϊντανό
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι
- 3 φλ. ζωμό βοδινού
- 1 ½ φλ. γάλα
- 1 αυγό, ελαφρώς χτυπημένο
- 1 φλ. ζωμό από τα γιουβαρλάκια
- Το χυμό από 2 λεμόνια
- 3 κ.σ. κορν φλάουρ διαλυμένο σε 2 κ.σ. νερό
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι
- Μουσκεύουμε τη φέτα το ψωμί.
- Στύβουμε να στραγγίσει και τη θρυμματίζουμε.
- Σε ένα μπολ ανακατεύουμε όλα τα υλικά και το ψωμί εκτός από τον ζωμό και φτιάχνουμε μικρές μπάλες.
- Σε μια κατσαρόλα ρίχνουμε το ζωμό και τον βάζουμε να βράσει.
- Χαμηλώνουμε τη φωτιά στο μέτριο και προσθέτουμε προσεκτικά τα κεφτεδάκια.
- Μαγειρεύουμε περίπου 30 έως 40 λεπτά.
- Σε μια μέτρια κατσαρόλα ρίξτε το γάλα και βράστε.
- Ρίξτε το ένα φλιτζάνι ζωμό από τα γιουβαρλάκια, το κορν φλάουρ και ανακατέψτε μέχρι το μίγμα να αρχίσει να πήζει.
- Χαμηλώστε τη φωτιά στο μέτριο και αποσύρετε την κατσαρόλα από τη φωτιά.
- Προσθέστε τα αυγά και το χυμό λεμονιού, ανακατεύοντας συνεχώς.
- Βάλτε την κατσαρόλα στη φωτιά και ανακατέψτε για ένα λεπτό.
- Αποσύρετε από τη φωτιά και ρίξτε το αβγολέμονο στα γιουβαρλάκια.
- Μην το ανακατέψετε, απλά μετακινήστε την κατσαρόλα έτσι ώστε το αυγολέμονο να καλύψει όλα τα γιουβαρλάκια.
- Κλείστε τη φωτιά και σερβίρετε.
