Gondi (food)

Gondi (Persian: گندی) is a Persian Jewish dish^[1] of meatballs^[2] made from ground lamb, veal or chicken^[1] traditionally served on Shabbat. Dried lime is sometimes used as an ingredient.^[3] Gondi are served as part of chicken soup served on Shabbat and other Jewish holidays.

They are also sometimes served as a side dish, or as an appetizer. Accompaniments are Middle Eastern bread and raw greens such as mint, watercress, and basil.^[4]

The origin of Gondi is not known with certainty, as the Jewish community residing in various cities in Iran are said to have originated it, but it is commonly said to have first been made in the Jewish community of Tehran. Due to the expense of the meat, it was a specialty for Shabbat. It is one of the few dishes credited to Iranian Jews.

Gondi is primarily a home-cooked dish, traditionally prepared for Friday evening Shabbat dinners within Persian Jewish households. The dish is closely tied to the tradition of Iranian Jewish families gathering at home on the eve of Shabbat, both in Iran and in diaspora communitites. ^[5] Because the recipe has been passed down through family tradition rather than written documentation, the dish varies considerably from household to household in terms of spices and meat choice. ^[6] Unlike most foods eaten by Persian Jews, which are shared with their non-Jewish Iranian neighbors, gondi is considered one of the few dishes unique to the Persian Jewish community, not commonly found in non-Jewish Persian cuisine. ^[7]

Gondi, named after a "bawdy euphemism for a certain part of the male anatomy", are served for many holidays, but are generally not served on Passover, when many Jews refrain from eating chickpea products.^{[8] [9]}

Gondi recipes typically include some form of ground meat, chickpea flour^[1] (which may be prepared using toasted chickpeas), shredded onions, ground cardamom, and salt.

• List of Jewish cuisine dishes
• List of meatball dishes