How I discovered the dish
We went to Athens last December, and my mother-in-law made us Giouvarlakia/Youvarlakia in Avgolemono. Basically, youvarlakia (Greek plural form for meatballs) are made of rice and minced beef, cooked through boiling or moist heat, and on the other hand, avgolemono is a sauce made of egg and lemon.
Since the letter “G” or Gamma in Greek alphabet sounds like a soft “G” (Just like the sound you’re making when you try to gargle your mouth without the water. I don’t know if it makes sense to you but that’s how I imagined it), the pronunciation for Giouvarlakia would be more like Youvarlakia in English. Complicated, right?
And so, after the holidays, as we came back to Berlin, I tried cooking it, and it was amazing!
Story in Background
Right after we had arrived from the airport to our place in Athens, we then had lunch at my mother-in-law’s.
She took the meatballs out of the fridge to reheat it as she had already cooked it earlier. She still had to make the egg-lemon sauce as she preferred making them separately. Although, making the sauce is just an easy part.
The moment it was served on my plate, I could smell the dill in the cooked meatballs. The aroma of the sauce was strange but a good one. At first, I took a bite, but it tasted remarkably good. I continued eating until I finished my portion. It was one of the most wonderful eating experience for me. From then on, I wanted to try it in our kitchen and serve it at home!
Going back in this blog post, I’d like to share to you the recipe I did for cooking the Youvarlakia. The recipe is so simple and easy yet very yummy. You’ll love the taste of this Traditional Greek soup. So, let’s get started!
Note: If you want to skip the blog, click here to directly proceed to the recipe.
The Experience
Since I’m cooking food for just the two of us (with my husband), I prepared ingredients that is just perfect for two people.
It was just a one-time (more like the first time) for cooking this meal, but it turned out great. It wasn’t my first time making meatballs, so it was easier for me.
The herb that you shouldn’t forget adding into it is dill. It makes it even more delicious!
Making the Youvarlakia:
I had the ingredients for meatballs in one deep plate bowl and I mixed them.
As you’re squeezing the mixture, this is how it will look like.
Mix evenly, until it’s smooth.
To avoid cracking of the balls, let it rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.
This way, the mixture will be easier to shape it into round meatballs, later.
Set the meatballs aside.
Boil the water. Turn the heat down, and then you toss them in.
Wait for about 25 minutes for the meatballs to perfectly cooked.
This is how it looks like as they get cooked.
I did a separate way of cooking the youvarlakia and the avgolemono, so I transferred the meatballs into the serving bowl, before making the sauce.
Making the avgolemono:
Beat the egg. Whisk and add the lemon juice. Whisk them together.
Pour the sauce into pot to mix it with the soup.
There might be rice on the soup, which is still okay as the sauce will be poured on the meatballs later.
The next part is a bit complicated. Although, you can do however you want it to do. Just be careful adding the flour to the soup to not create lumps or not make it too thick.
You decide on the amount of flour you want, just as how creamy you want it. I put 2 tbsp of flour in this recipe, and the creaminess was just perfect.
Once the sauce is ready, pour it on the serving bowl with meatballs.
This was how thick the sauce I made.
Use the spoon to pour the sauce over the meatballs that haven’t been poured yet.
On what I did, I revolved the meatballs into the sauce to make sure they are all covered.
Serve while warm.
I prepared some salad for myself as well as a side dish.
Bon appetit! ☺
The Recipe
Youvarlakia in Avgolemono
Author: Valyn Theofan
Prep time: 20 min
Cooking time: 40 min
Servings: 2
Category: Soup
Cuisine: Greek
Description: This dish is perfect for winter or cold rainy days.
Ingredients
For the meatballs (youvarlakia):
165g minced beef (5.8 ounces)
almost 1/4 cup of rice (25g)
2 tbsp of parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp dill, finely chopped
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1 tbsp olive oil (or any oil of your choice)
1/2 carrot, grated (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
For boiling:
2 cups of water
For the egg-lemon sauce (avgolemono):
1 egg
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp flour
Instructions
Note: Use gloves when you’re mixing the ingredients as it will be tricky, and for hygiene purposes as well.
1. Prepare the meatballs. Place all the ingredients into a deep plate bowl and mix.
When evenly mixed, knead the mixture and squeeze until smooth.
2. Let it rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
3. Form the meatballs, and set them aside.
Tip: While the meatballs are inside the fridge, you can start boiling the water to continuously proceed with the cooking, especially when you’re in a hurry cooking the food.
4. Pour into the pot, 2 cups of water, and bring to boil. Turn the heat down to small amount of heat.
5. Carefully toss the meatballs in, using your hand (use gloves for safety and hygiene) or tongs. Make sure that the water is enough to cover the meatballs. Add more warm water if needed.
Put the lid on the pot and cook it for 25-30 minutes.
6. Prepare the avgolemono (egg-lemon sauce). Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk. Add the lemon juice. Whisk the sauce.
7. When the meatballs are cooked, transfer them carefully to the serving bowls.
8. Add the avgolemono into the soup (from the youvarlakia), and stir.
9. Add flour. Dissolve it with water.
(When I did it, I dissolved it with small amount of water first and then poured the sauce into the bowl and whisk. You can do however you want it to be.)
Let it cook for about 2-4 minutes (open and without the lid),
over medium heat (enough to warm the sauce).
Do not boil the sauce, as it will become very thick (as the water evaporates).
It should look creamy, but not so thick.
10. Pour the sauce onto the serving bowl with the youvarlakia in it.
Serve the food while warm.
Additional Note: I didn’t put anything on top of my soup, but you can freely add any toppings (e.g. parsley, dill, etc.) of your liking. And also, please don’t forget to leave this recipe, your comments if you tried it. I’d like to know about your experience as well. Till next time! Tschüss! ☺
House of Vnyla 
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