Iraqi croquettes of rice with meat stuffing

Iraqi croquettes of rice with meat stuffing

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about 18 patties
For the rice:
500 g rice
500 ml water
½ teaspoon turmeric
salt or a bouillon cube

For the filling:
350 g minced meat (lamb or veal) or finely cut meat
1 onion
2-3 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 teaspoons baharat (spice mixture)
finely cut parsley

sunflower oil for frying

For the baharat mixture:
3 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon

PREPARATION:
Filling
Cut the onion into small pieces and fry it in a pan with the sunflower oil. Cook until it starts caramelizing. Then add the minced meat and the baharat mix. Cook until the meat browns. Add the finely cut parsley and leave it to chill.

Iraqi croquettes of rice with meat stuffing

Rice
Boil the rice with the water together with the turmeric and salt. Boil over very low heat for 20-25 minutes without stirring until the rice softens and absorbs all the liquid. It is advisable for the rice to be slightly overboiled because you’ll need it to be sticky. Press it using a wooden spoon or a potato ricer and leave it to chill.

Iraqi croquettes of rice with meat stuffing

Take some of the rice and press on it with your hand. Put 1-2 teaspoons of the filling in the center. Enclose the patties and make them into a zeppelin-shaped pieces as shown on the photo below.

Iraqi croquettes of rice with meat stuffing

Iraqi croquettes of rice with meat stuffing

Fry the rice patties in lots of heated sunflower oil until they brown slightly.

Iraqi croquettes of rice with meat stuffing

Iraqi croquettes of rice with meat stuffing

Iraqi croquettes of rice with meat stuffing