Turkey · Gaziantep

Antep Yuvarlaması (Tiny Rice-Meat Ball Yogurt Stew)

Tiny rice-and-lamb balls join tender lamb and chickpeas in a tempered yogurt stew finished with fragrant mint butter.

Hundreds of pinhead rice-meat balls in lamb and yogurt broth Festive stew
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Gaziantep festive yogurt stew finished with green mint butter
Gradual tempering keeps the yogurt liaison pale and unbroken.
Prep 3 hours
Cook 2 hours 30 minutes
Serves 8
Ingredients ↓
Overview

How to Make Antep Yuvarlaması

Antep Yuvarlaması, also called yuvalama locally, is a protected Gaziantep celebration dish associated especially with the end of Ramadan. Its distinction is immediately visible: every bowl contains a remarkable number of tiny, uniform rice-and-meat balls, traditionally rolled through communal labour. They are neither ordinary meatballs nor flour dumplings. Rice is ground into the lean lamb mixture, and every piece is shaped to roughly five or six millimetres.

Begin the stew base with lamb and soaked chickpeas because both need patient cooking. Preserve a clear savoury broth for the yogurt stage. Meanwhile, soaked rice must drain and dry before grinding with very lean lamb and squeezed onion. Knead until cohesive, keep the mass under a damp cloth and divide it into thin ropes. Cut tiny pieces and roll them between lightly oiled palms, resisting the temptation to make faster marble-size balls.

Steam or gently simmer the balls until they set and reach 71°C, then let them finish in the lamb and chickpea broth until the rice centre is fully tender. Handling them in stages protects their round shape and keeps the pot from becoming cloudy paste. A properly cooked ball remains distinct when stirred yet gives no hard grain when cut.

Whisk strained yogurt with eggs and flour and temper it gradually with hot broth. Return the warm liaison over low heat and stop after one gentle simmer; hard boiling splits the yogurt. Mint bloomed briefly in butter finishes the pale stew. Every serving should contain tender lamb, chickpeas and abundant pinhead balls in a smooth tangy broth—the evidence of the time and many hands traditionally invested in the dish.

Practical

Practical

  • Control cook lamb and chickpeasFor Antep Yuvarlaması (Tiny Rice-Meat Ball Yogurt Stew), Simmer lamb and soaked chickpeas in water, skimming, until both are fully tender while retaining a clear broth. The checkpoint is chickpeas are creamy within and lamb yields easily from bone or fork. If it is absent, correct this stage's heat, moisture or handling before proceeding; later cooking cannot reliably repair an incomplete foundation.
  • Control make pinhead ballsFor Antep Yuvarlaması (Tiny Rice-Meat Ball Yogurt Stew), Grind soaked dried rice with lean lamb and squeezed onion, salt and pepper, then knead until smooth and cohesive. The checkpoint is the mixture is elastic enough to roll without crumbling or smearing wet. If it is absent, correct this stage's heat, moisture or handling before proceeding; later cooking cannot reliably repair an incomplete foundation.
  • Control set the ballsFor Antep Yuvarlaması (Tiny Rice-Meat Ball Yogurt Stew), Steam the balls in a lightly oiled perforated tray or simmer gently in batches until set and cooked through to 71°C, then cool briefly. The checkpoint is balls hold their round shape and separate from one another. If it is absent, correct this stage's heat, moisture or handling before proceeding; later cooking cannot reliably repair an incomplete foundation.
Ingredients

Ingredients

For the recipe

  • 500 g short-grain rice, soaked, drained and dried
  • 300 g very lean finely minced lamb
  • 120 g onion, very finely grated and squeezed
  • 8 g fine salt for the balls
  • 3 g black pepper
  • 30 ml sunflower oil for hands
  • 1 kg bone-in lamb shoulder or large lamb cubes
  • 350 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
  • 3.5 litres water
  • 1.5 kg strained whole-milk yogurt
  • 2 large large eggs
  • 35 g plain flour for yogurt liaison
  • 16 g fine salt for the stew
  • 100 g unsalted butter
  • 10 g dried mint
Directions

Directions

Cook lamb and chickpeas

  1. Cook lamb and chickpeas 1.Simmer lamb and soaked chickpeas in water, skimming, until both are fully tender while retaining a clear broth.

    Chickpeas are creamy within and lamb yields easily from bone or fork.

  2. Cook lamb and chickpeas 2.Lift any bones, portion the meat and keep broth, lamb and chickpeas hot but not violently boiling.

    The broth is savoury and sufficient to carry the balls and yogurt.

Make pinhead balls

  1. Make pinhead balls 1.Grind soaked dried rice with lean lamb and squeezed onion, salt and pepper, then knead until smooth and cohesive.

    The mixture is elastic enough to roll without crumbling or smearing wet.

  2. Make pinhead balls 2.Roll ropes, cut 5 mm pieces and roll each between lightly oiled palms into uniform 5-6 mm balls, keeping the mixture under a damp cloth.

    Finished balls are approximately pea- or pinhead-size and visibly uniform.

Set the balls

  1. Set the balls 1.Steam the balls in a lightly oiled perforated tray or simmer gently in batches until set and cooked through to 71°C, then cool briefly.

    Balls hold their round shape and separate from one another.

  2. Set the balls 2.Add set balls to the lamb and chickpeas and simmer gently until the rice is fully tender.

    A cut ball has no hard rice centre and reaches 71°C.

Temper yogurt and finish

  1. Temper yogurt and finish 1.Whisk yogurt, eggs and flour smooth, temper gradually with hot broth and stir back over low heat until one gentle simmer begins.

    The liaison enters warm and fluid and the stew stays smooth with no curds.

  2. Temper yogurt and finish 2.Season, remove from heat and pour over butter in which dried mint has bloomed for several seconds.

    Mint remains green-fragrant and tiny balls are abundant in every serving.
Practical

Practical

Control temper yogurt and finish

For Antep Yuvarlaması (Tiny Rice-Meat Ball Yogurt Stew), Whisk yogurt, eggs and flour smooth, temper gradually with hot broth and stir back over low heat until one gentle simmer begins. The checkpoint is the liaison enters warm and fluid and the stew stays smooth with no curds. If it is absent, correct this stage's heat, moisture or handling before proceeding; later cooking cannot reliably repair an incomplete foundation.

Measure before starting

For Antep Yuvarlaması (Tiny Rice-Meat Ball Yogurt Stew), weigh 500 g short-grain rice, soaked, drained and dried, 300 g very lean finely minced lamb, 120 g onion, very finely grated and squeezed, and 8 g fine salt for the balls before beginning, then arrange the remaining 11 measured components by stage. This prevents the cook lamb and chickpeas phase from being interrupted and keeps salt, liquid and declared allergens visible before the dish is assembled.

Plan service and storage together

Choose the serving time for Antep Yuvarlaması (Tiny Rice-Meat Ball Yogurt Stew) before the final stage and have the correct storage container ready. Refrigerate for up to 3 days and reheat slowly while stirring to 74°C. Freeze lamb, chickpeas and cooked balls before adding yogurt for up to 2 months; thaw, heat and prepare a fresh liaison. This preserves the texture described by the final readiness cue and moves the dish directly to service, controlled holding or prompt cooling.

Control points

Control points

  • Chickpeas are creamy within and lamb yields easily from bone or fork does not happen. During cook lamb and chickpeas for Antep Yuvarlaması (Tiny Rice-Meat Ball Yogurt Stew), compare the food with the stated cue before advancing. Adjust the immediate heat, moisture or handling; elapsed time alone does not confirm this recipe's texture or even cooking.
  • The mixture is elastic enough to roll without crumbling or smearing wet does not happen. During make pinhead balls for Antep Yuvarlaması (Tiny Rice-Meat Ball Yogurt Stew), compare the food with the stated cue before advancing. Adjust the immediate heat, moisture or handling; elapsed time alone does not confirm this recipe's texture or even cooking.
  • Balls hold their round shape and separate from one another does not happen. During set the balls for Antep Yuvarlaması (Tiny Rice-Meat Ball Yogurt Stew), compare the food with the stated cue before advancing. Adjust the immediate heat, moisture or handling; elapsed time alone does not confirm this recipe's texture or even cooking.
  • The liaison enters warm and fluid and the stew stays smooth with no curds does not happen. During temper yogurt and finish for Antep Yuvarlaması (Tiny Rice-Meat Ball Yogurt Stew), compare the food with the stated cue before advancing. Adjust the immediate heat, moisture or handling; elapsed time alone does not confirm this recipe's texture or even cooking.
Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Calories860 kcal
  • Protein53 g
  • Carbohydrates81 g
  • Fat37 g
  • Saturated fat19 g
  • Fiber10 g
  • Sugars12 g
  • Sodium980 mg

1 of 8 servings — Approximate values use the full measured recipe and may change with brands, trimming, oil absorption, optional components and actual portion size.

Allergens · Food safety

Allergens · Food safety

Allergens: Milk, Egg, Wheat/gluten

Food safety: Keep raw lamb and the rice-meat mixture refrigerated and prevent cross-contamination with cooked balls and yogurt. Cook the ground-meat balls to 71°C and bring the finished yogurt stew to one gentle simmer. Cool in shallow containers within 2 hours and reheat gently to 74°C without hard boiling.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days and reheat slowly while stirring to 74°C. Freeze lamb, chickpeas and cooked balls before adding yogurt for up to 2 months; thaw, heat and prepare a fresh liaison.

FAQ

FAQ

Can the tiny balls be made ahead?

Yes. Set them by steaming or gentle simmering, cool promptly and refrigerate for 1 day or freeze for up to 2 months before finishing the stew.

Why must the balls be so small?

The abundant 5-6 mm rice-meat balls are the protected dish's defining craft and texture. Ordinary meatball size changes both identity and eating quality.

How do I stop the yogurt splitting?

Whisk it smooth with egg and flour, temper gradually with hot broth and return it over low heat. Stop after one gentle simmer.

Can I double the recipe?

Double the stew in suitable cookware, but organise extra helpers or roll the balls in separate covered batches so the mixture does not dry out.

Do not enlarge the work out of the dish

Do not enlarge the work out of the dish

A cohesive rice-meat mixture, truly pinhead rolling, separate setting and gentle yogurt tempering preserve yuvarlama's defining craft.

Begin with chickpeas are creamy within and lamb yields easily from bone or fork; finish only when mint remains green-fragrant and tiny balls are abundant in every serving. Those two observations are more dependable than appearance in a styled photograph or the clock alone.

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