Yuvarlakia

Method

1. Put the 150 g of minced beef in a bowl with the 35 g of uncooked short-grain rice, the 40 g of finely grated onion (squeeze out most of its juice first), the 1 tbsp of chopped parsley, the 0.5 tsp of dried mint, the 0.5 tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper. Knead with your hand for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is smooth and slightly sticky, so the balls hold together while poaching.
2. With damp hands roll the mixture into 8 tight balls the size of a walnut — yuvarlakia means 'little round ones', so keep them even. Spread the 2 tbsp of plain flour on a plate and roll each ball in it, tapping off the excess; the light coating keeps them intact and thickens the broth.
3. Bring the 500 ml of water (or light stock) to the boil in a small saucepan with the 1 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Lower the meatballs in one by one so the water keeps moving, then reduce to the barest simmer.