Lamb meatballs kneaded with grated onion and garlic, coated in flour and fried, then simmered in a fresh tomato sauce with tomato paste.
Dawood Basha is meatballs in tomato sauce, and this version differs by one step: coating the balls in flour before frying.
The flour grips the surface so it browns quickly and seals in the juices, then dissolves into the sauce and thickens it without any added starch.
Mix the ground meat with the grated onion, garlic, salt, black pepper and mixed spices, and knead until even. The onion is grated rather than chopped so its water melts into the meat and keeps the balls tender.
Roll the meat into even balls, then pass them through the flour until covered on every side. That layer of flour is what holds the ball's shape in the oil and stops it breaking up.
Fry the balls in hot oil until browned outside, then lift and drain them. They need not cook through here, since they finish in the sauce.
Put the oil in a pot over the heat, then add the onion and garlic and stir until softened.
Add the tomato paste and grated tomatoes and leave the sauce until it reduces and thickens, then season with salt, black pepper and mixed spices.
Add the fried meatballs to the sauce and leave them to take up the flavor, and serve dawood basha hot with a sprinkle of parsley.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Dawood Basha with Floured Meatballs, and how to fix them:
The flour did not cover them fully or the oil was not hot. Coat them well and check the oil temperature before lowering them in.
It was not cooked down enough. Leave it over medium heat until the oil separates on the surface.
They were fried too long. Browning the outside is enough, and the sauce finishes the cooking.
The coating is too thick. Shake off the excess before frying so a thin layer remains.
Hot, with rice or bread.
Three days in a sealed container, and the sauce tastes better the next day.
Two months sealed with its sauce, thawed in the fridge before reheating.
Over low heat with a splash of water so the sauce does not dry out.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamb | Ground beef | 500 g | Leaner and milder, and needs a little more oil when kneading. |
| Frying | Oven | 200C | Arrange the coated balls on a tray, brush with oil, twenty minutes, and the fat drops sharply. |
| Fresh tomatoes | Canned peeled tomatoes | 600 g | Available year round and more consistently acidic, and they need shorter cooking. |
| Flour | Cornstarch | 40 g | A lighter, crisper coating, but it will not thicken the sauce the way flour does. |
| Servings | Meat | Tomatoes | Flour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 servings (half the amount) | 250 g | 300 g | 32 g |
| 4 servings (base) | 500 g | 600 g | 63 g |
| 8 servings (double) | 1000 g | 1200 g | 125 g |
Chill the meat mixture for ten minutes before shaping. Cold meat holds together between the palms, so the balls come out even and do not stick to your hands.
The EEINA app saves your favorite recipes, calculates them from their real ingredients, and shows your daily numbers toward your goal. Try it free now.
