Gondi (food)

Gondi
A plate of gondi with chicken and carrots
Alternative namesGundi
TypeSoup
CourseAppetizer or side dish
Place of origin Iran
Khorasan, Esfahan and Tehran
Region or statePersian Jewish
Iran
Israel
United States
Created byPersian Jews
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientsChickpea flour, chicken, or turkey, or sometimes ground lamb, grated onions, cardamom, garlic, sometimes turmeric, dried lime
  •  Wikimedia Commons logo Media: Gondi

Gondi (Persian: گندی), sometimes spelled gundi, is a Persian Jewish dish of meatballs made from ground lamb, veal or chicken traditionally served on Shabbat. Dried lime is sometimes used as an ingredient. Gondi are served as part of chicken soup on Shabbat and other Jewish holidays, like the similar-looking but unrelated Ashkenazi Jewish matzo balls.

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.

Origins

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. The name gondi is derived from the Middle Persian gwnd, meaning testicle, in reference to its shape (compare New Persian: گند, romanized: gond, lit. 'testicle'). Due to the expense of the meat, it was a specialty for Shabbat. It is one of the dishes credited specifically to Iranian Jews.

Cultural significance

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. 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. 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.

Ingredients

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

See also

References

  1. ↑ Murphy, Kate (March 10, 2012). "Catching Up With the Chef Yotam Ottolenghi". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Ruth Taber: Chickpeas star in Rosh Hashanah dishes". El Paso Times. September 20, 2016. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  3. ↑ "The Stuff Of Tradition". The Jewish Week | Connecting The World To Jewish News, Culture & Opinion. March 2, 2016. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  4. ↑ "The food travels of London's top chefs". Evening Standard. October 4, 2016. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Iranian Jews' delicious obsession with Gondi - Iranian American Jews". Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  6. ↑ "PersianRabbi.com - Persian Iranian Judaism Online - How to make Gondi". Retrieved 2009-01-25.[dead link]
  7. ↑ Narins, Rachael (2023-02-27). "Gondi Is the Persian Jewish Soup You Need Right Now | The Nosher". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 2026-04-27.
  8. ↑ "Herby and Tangy Recipes from Persian Jewish Families". Jewish Food Society. 2025-08-20. Retrieved 2026-04-27.
  9. ↑ Collective, Ajam Media (2023-12-10). "Saffron and Shabbat: Stories of Iranian Jewish Cooking in Diaspora". Ajam Media Collective. Retrieved 2026-04-27.