15 minutes of work and it's yours: the pot that will make your Rosh Hashanah

If there is one dish that truly feels like a holiday meal at home, it is a dish that arrives at the table in a large pot, with a rich sauce, tender meatballs, and a scent that fills the whole house. Ahead of Rosh Hashanah, here is a comforting and festive recipe for juicy beef meatballs with caramelized onion and zucchini, which cook alongside potatoes in a sweet tomato sauce with silan and warm spices.

The grated zucchini gives the meatballs juiciness, the caramelized onion adds depth and natural sweetness, and the sauce completes the dish with a wonderful combination of tomatoes, silan, and spices.

This is exactly the type of dish that is perfect for the center of the holiday table, one that invites everyone to take another meatball, a little more potato, and of course, to dip everything in the sauce.

Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: about an hour

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 500g ground beef

• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped and caramelized in olive oil

• 1 zucchini, grated and squeezed well

• 1 egg

• About 1/3 cup breadcrumbs

• Chopped parsley and cilantro

• 1 tsp sweet paprika

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• A pinch of cinnamon

• Salt and black pepper

• Olive oil

For the sauce:

• 2-3 yellow or golden potatoes, peeled and sliced

• 1 yellow onion, sliced

• Grated fresh tomatoes or quality crushed tomatoes

• 2-3 tbsp silan

• Sweet paprika, turmeric, salt, and black pepper

• Olive oil

• Water

Preparation method

1. Start with the onion for the meatballs: heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry the onion over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until soft, golden, and caramelized. Let it cool slightly.

2. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef with the caramelized onion, grated and squeezed zucchini, egg, breadcrumbs, herbs, and spices. Mix until uniform and form round, slightly flattened meatballs.

3. In a wide, low pot, heat a little olive oil and fry the sliced onion until golden. Add the potatoes and sprinkle with spices. Add the tomatoes and silan, then mix gently.

4. Add water so the sauce partially covers the potatoes and bring to a gentle boil. Carefully arrange the meatballs inside the sauce, cover the pot, and cook over low heat for about 45 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked, the potatoes are soft, and the sauce is thick and rich.

For an especially festive and golden look, you can remove the lid and transfer the pot to the oven in grill mode for 2-3 minutes until the meatballs are lightly browned.