A bowlful of irony, green goodness! Who knew that the English word ‘spinach’ derives from the Farsi word ‘esfenaj’? In this dish, though, it is called sak, an Indian word. It suggests that the dish might have come to Persia from India, a reversal of the trend that saw Persian recipes taken with Zoroastrian exiles who became Parsis in their new homeland back in the seventh century.
Koofteh are very popular in Persian cooking, and the word itself derives from the Farsi verb ‘to pound’, which describes the paste-like consistency needed to make these tender little meatballs. The secret is to mince the meat twice; ask your butcher to do this for you, or do it yourself at home. The mince must then be energetically and thoroughly kneaded so that the fat is evenly distributed throughout the meat and it turns into a soft, sticky paste. You can do this quickly in a food processor if you like, but chill the bowl and blade in the fridge first.