Recipes

Classic Soviet meatballs with that same thick tomato gravy and the nostalgic flavor of USSR cafeterias. A simple, comforting dish familiar to Soviet people from childhood and school lunches. A meal that brings generations together and brings back warm memories of home coziness.

Cooking time:
45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 500 g ground beef
• 3 tbsp flour
• 70 g tomato paste
• 1 medium onion
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 10 g butter
• salt, pepper (to taste)
• spices, herbs (optional)
• 100 g rice (about 6 tbsp uncooked rice)
• 1 egg

Recipe:

1. Place the raw ground meat into a deep bowl.
2. Boil the rice in a pot until half-cooked (5–7 minutes after the water starts boiling). After cooking, let the rice cool for 1–2 minutes.
3. Transfer the rice into the bowl with the meat, adding one raw egg, salt, pepper, and spices (optional). Mix thoroughly.
4. Pour 1–2 tablespoons of flour onto a dry frying pan (no oil). Lightly toast the flour until it develops a golden-yellow color. Transfer it to a small bowl.
5. Pour 1 tbsp sunflower oil into the pan and fry the finely chopped onion. Transfer the onion to the meat mixture. Mix thoroughly and form the meatball shapes.
6. Lightly coat the formed meatballs in flour and fry them in the pan using the sunflower oil left after frying the onion. Transfer to a separate plate.
7. Return the toasted flour to the pan. Add the tomato paste, a spoon of sunflower oil, a piece of butter, salt, and pepper. Pour in cold water. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and takes on a carrot-reddish color.
8. Add the fried meatballs to the sauce. Cover with a lid and let them simmer for 30 minutes.
9. As a side dish, you can additionally prepare mashed potatoes or spaghetti.