hungarian style meatballs

How To Make hungarian style meatballs recipe - Ground turkey and mushrooms make succulent, low-fat meatballs, simmered in a sauce make with tomato purée and red and green peppers. Paprika adds warmth to the dish and new potatoes turn it into a complete meal.

SERVES: 4

PREPARATION: 25 MINUTES, COOKING: 55 MINUTES
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/3 cups (340 g) mushrooms, finely chopped
2/3 pound (340 g) ground turkey
2/3 cup (55 g) fresh whole-grain breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh parsley, plus small sprigs, to garnish
freshly ground black pepper
1 pound (550 g) small new potatoes, halved if large
4 tablespoons (60 ml) low-fat plain yogurt

Sauce:
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon (15 ml) paprika
4 cups (1 liter) tomato purée
pinch of caraway seeds

Method:
1 Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. The mushrooms will give up their liquid initially, but this will evaporate to leave the mixture greatly reduced, dark in color and very thick. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a large bowl and let cool slightly.

2 Add the ground turkey to the bowl and use a fork to break up the pieces. Add the breadcrumbs, egg, parsley and a little pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined. Wet your hands a little to prevent the mixture from sticking to them, and shape the turkey mixture into 20 walnut-sized balls. Set the meatballs aside.

3 Clean the casserole dish and return it to medium heat. To make the sauce, heat the oil in the dish, add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the garlic and peppers and cook, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the paprika and cook for 1 minute, pour in the purée and bring to a boil over high heat.

4 Stir in the caraway seeds and season with pepper. Add the meatballs and potatoes to the simmering sauce. Cover and simmer gently for 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Ladle the meatballs, potatoes and sauce into bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of yogurt and a sprig of parsley.

Each serving provides
606 calories, 48 g protein, 23 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 52 g carbohydrate (18 g sugars), 12 g fiber, 311 mg sodium

hungarian style meatballs