Daoud Basha | Lebanese Meatballs in Tomato Pomegranate Molasses Sauce
Learn how to make Daoud or Dawood Basha, a Lebanese meatballs stew flavoured with Arabic spices and stewed in tomato and pomegranate molasses sauce.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr
Total Time1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: arabic, middle eastern
Servings: 3people
Author: Famidha Ashraf
INGREDIENTS
For the meatballs
550gramsground meatbeef or lamb or mix
1medium oniondiced finely
3garlic clovesminced
2 to 3green chillichopped finely
Handfulfresh parsleychopped
½tablespoonallspice powder
½teaspooncinnamon powder
salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil to sear
For the fried Potato chunk
Olive oilto pan-fry
1large potatocubed
For the Tomato Pomegranate Molasses Sauce
1medium oniondiced finely
4garlic clovesminced
½tablespoonallspice powder
½teaspooncinnamon powder
2large tomatoespureed or chopped finely
1½tablespoon tomato paste
1tablespoonpomegranate molasses
water to submerge the meatballs
½ bell pepperany colour, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
Sear the Meatballs
You may use a mini chopper to chop together the onions, garlic, green chilli and parsley leaves. Then, add this to the ground meat along with the spices. Mix the meatballs ingredients and make 18 to 20 equal-sized balls.
Heat olive oil in a thick bottomed pan and brown the meatballs in batches stirring every minute until it is no longer raw on the outside and has browned.
Remove the meatballs and keep them aside.
Pan roast the Potato and Peppers
If required, add more olive oil to the same pan. Pan-fry the potato chunks on medium flame until browned on both sides. Doesn't have to be cooked through now.
Move the potatoes aside and add the chopped bell peppers and roast on high flame for a few minutes. Remove both the potatoes and peppers and keep them aside.
Prepare the Tomato Pomegranate Molasses Sauce
Heat some olive oil in a saucepan.
Saute the finely chopped onions and garlic until they start to brown. (you may use a mini chopper to chop them together)
Add the spice powders along with some salt and saute for a few minutes.
Stir in the chopped or pureed tomatoes and tomato paste and let it boil.
Stir in the pomegranate molasses.
Cook the meatballs in the sauce
Place all the meatballs carefully in a single layer.
Pour enough water to partially submerge the meatballs.
Cover and cook on low to medium flame for 10 to 15 mins till the meat is cooked through.
Cook the potatoes and peppers
Add the pan-roasted potatoes and bell peppers. Taste and adjust the spices and salt. (You may deglaze the pan used for meatballs and peppers with some hot water and pour it into the stew)
Cover and cook for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and the sauce thickens.
Serve Daoud basha
Switch off and garnish with parsley leaves.
Serve hot with white rice or Lebanese vermicelli rice along with some Tabbouleh and indulge in some sweet Layali Lubnan!