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Easy meatball and potato stew showing tender meatballs, potatoes in golden sauce
Oumnia

Easy Meatball and Potato Stew (One-Pot)

Easy meatball and potato stew with tender meatballs, warm Mediterranean spices, and soft potatoes in one pot. 40 minutes to serve. Feeds 6-8.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • For the Sauce Base:
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tomatoes grated
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • Water for cooking
  • For the Meatballs Kofta:
  • 500 g minced meat
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp dried onion
  • Fresh parsley chopped
  • For the Potatoes:
  • 500 g potatoes cut into chunks

Method
 

  1. Sauté Onions and Garlic: In a large pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil and sauté the
  2. chopped onion until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook
  3. for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Build the Sauce: Add grated tomatoes, salt, turmeric, ginger, coriander, black
  5. pepper, and tomato paste. Stir well and cover. Let simmer for 5 minutes while
  6. preparing the meatballs.
  7. Shape and Add Meatballs: In a bowl, mix minced meat with salt, black pepper,
  8. ginger, paprika, coriander, dried onion, and fresh parsley. Roll into small
  9. meatballs and add directly to the simmering sauce.
  10. Simmer with Water: Pour in enough water to almost cover the meatballs (about
  11. 2 cups). Add another tablespoon of tomato paste and fresh parsley. Bring to
  12. a gentle simmer and reduce heat to medium-low.
  13. Add Potatoes and Finish: After 10 minutes of simmering, add potato chunks.
  14. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender and sauce is rich, about 20-25 minutes.
  15. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

Notes

The spices are essential - turmeric, ginger, and coriander create the signature
flavor of this easy meatball and potato stew. Bloom them in oil and tomato paste
for maximum flavor.
Don't skip the initial spice-blooming step - it releases essential flavors that
make this easy meatball and potato stew special.
Roll meatballs gently and avoid stirring too much - rough handling makes tough
meatballs in this easy meatball and potato stew.
Use 80/20 ground beef for tender, flavorful meatballs. Lean meat results in dry
meatballs in this easy meatball and potato stew.
Cut potatoes evenly so they cook at the same rate. Uneven sizes mean some are
mushy while others are still hard in this easy meatball and potato stew.
Simmer gently, not aggressively - gentle heat keeps meatballs intact and allows
the sauce to reduce properly for this easy meatball and potato stew.
Tastes even better the next day as flavors deepen. Make-ahead friendly.