This Meatball Stew is known as Ras Asfour in the Middle East. Flavorful mini-meatballs are simmered in a tomato-based stew, along with peas and potatoes. This stew is usually served over vermicelli rice with pickled turnips on the side.
"Ras Asfour" (also spelled Ras Asfoor/ Ras Al Asfour) means "bird heads" in Arabic. TMI? Probably. But don't worry, that term simply describes the size of the meatballs to the size of a bird's head. In other words, no birds were harmed in the making of this stew.
I'll never forget when I was working on my cookbook and actually considered using a direct translation of "Ras Asfour" and naming the recipe "Bird Head Stew." Luckily, my wise friend, Diane, who was helping me edit my cookbook, convinced me otherwise.
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🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Meat: You'll need 8 ounces of ground beef. I prefer 90% lean.
- Peas: Fresh or frozen peas
- Potatoes: One large potato, I use Russet.
- Onion: One yellow onion
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste to make the tomato-based stew.
- Seasoning: Salt, black pepper, allspice, curry (I prefer hot curry), and paprika.
*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card.
🥔 How to Make Ras Asfour
Prepare Meatballs
Step 1: To make the meatballs, add ground beef to a bowl along with minced onions, chopped parsley, salt, black pepper, allspice, and curry. Using your hands, work the ingredients together until fully blended.
Step 2: Pinch off small pieces of meat (approximately the size of a bird's head) and roll them between your palms to shape them into small balls. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture until all the mixture is used up.
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Prepare the Stew
Step 3: Heat oil in a medium-sized pot and fry the meatballs. After a few minutes, add cubed potatoes. Fry for up to five minutes or until browned.
Step 4: Heat 3 cups of water and add the tomato paste. Stir until dissolved. Add chopped tomato, parsley, salt, paprika, and lemon juice and stir to combine. Pour sauce over the meatballs and potatoes, then add the frozen peas.
Step 5: Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
Step 6: Meanwhile, prepare plain white rice or vermicelli rice. Serve Meatball Stew accompanied by rice and pickled sunchokes or other mixed pickles/torshi.
Another way to enjoy this stew is with Middle Eastern pita bread or Iraqi khubz. The bread is either dipped into the stew or torn into chunks with the stew poured over it.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- For a thicker stew, add an additional tablespoon of tomato paste.
- If you like spicy food, add ¼ tsp. of cayenne pepper to the stew before simmering it.
- Adding a few cloves of garlic to the stew before simmering would be a great addition.
- When making the meatballs, some of the onion inevitably falls out. Instead of tossing it, add it to the stew for more flavor.
- For an even healthier version, use ground turkey instead of beef.
🥘 More Middle Eastern Stews
📖 Recipe
Meatball Stew (Ras Asfour)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add ground beef to a bowl along with minced onions, chopped parsley, salt, black pepper, allspice, and curry. Using your hands, work the ingredients together until fully blended.
- Pinch off small pieces of meat (approximately the size of a bird's head) and roll them between your palms to shape them into small balls. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture until the mixture is used up.
- Heat oil in a medium-sized pot and fry the meatballs. After a few minutes, add cubed potatoes. Fry for up to five minutes or until browned.
- Heat 3 cups of water and add the tomato paste. Stir until dissolved. Add chopped tomato, parsley, salt, paprika, and lemon juice and stir to combine. Pour sauce over the meatballs and potatoes, then add the frozen peas.
- Bring stew to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare plain white rice or vermicelli rice. Serve meatball stew accompanied by rice and pickled sunchokes or other mixed pickles/torshi.
Nutrition
Notes
- For a thicker stew, add an additional tablespoon of tomato paste.
- If you like spicy food, add ¼ tsp. of cayenne pepper to the stew prior to simmering it.
- A few cloves of garlic added to the stew prior to simmering it would be a great addition.
- When making the meatballs, some of the onion inevitably falls out. Instead of tossing it, add it to the stew for more flavor.
- For an even healthier version, use ground turkey instead of beef.
Kari Ward says
Hi Hilda, I am making this right now, and cant wait. I hope it tastes close to what my Iraqi grandmother used to make. I however cant find the amount of Paprika you use in the recipe, Thank you for all the wonderful recipes here, I look forward to trying a lot of them
Hilda Sterner says
Sorry about that, it's 1.5 tsp paprika!
Wendy says
Hi Hilda. What’s the amount of peas you put in the stew? Thank you.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Wendy, Thank you so much for your comment and question. I must've accidentally deleted that info the last time I updated the post. I went ahead and fixed it to show you need 8 ounces of frozen peas.
Nicole Temkin says
I made this the other night and we absolutely loved it! I love the unique combination of spices -- which is what first drew me to Hilda's recipes. I will definitely be making this again soon!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Nicole, what a sweet comment! I really appreciate the review. ❤️
Teresa Evers says
Hilda’s Meatball Stew was a hit in my home tonight . I found it simple and quick to prepare. I served the stew over a bed of white rice . I used turkey instead of beef. Simply delicious and filling . Thank you Hilda.
HildaSterner says
Thanks, Teresa. I love the fact that you're always willing to try out my recipes and come back and leave a review. Thank you so much!