Keftedakia (Greek Fried Meatballs)
🇬🇷 Greece
Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1 lb) lean ground beef
- 100 g (1 small) onion, grated
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium egg
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 80 g stale bread, crust removed, soaked
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3-4 spearmint leaves, minced
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper, to taste
- flour, for coating
- oil, for frying
- lemon wedges, to serve
- 150 g (â…” cup) Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2-3 spearmint leaves, minced (for dip)
- salt and pepper, to taste (for dip)
Steps
- Soak the stale bread in water, then squeeze out excess liquid and crumble it.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, grated onion, minced garlic, egg, olive oil, crumbled bread, ground coriander, red wine vinegar, minced spearmint, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Mix everything well by hand until fully combined.
- Cover and refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Shape the mixture into small round meatballs, about the size of a walnut.
- Lightly coat each meatball in flour, shaking off excess.
- Heat frying oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Fry the meatballs in batches until golden brown and cooked through, turning occasionally.
- Remove meatballs and drain on paper towels.
- For the yogurt dip, mix Greek yogurt, lemon juice, minced spearmint, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Serve the meatballs hot with lemon wedges and the yogurt dip on the side.
Source: realgreekrecipes.com