Hedgehogs from minced meat with rice

Most likely, the author of this simple and at the same time very tasty dish is the people.

Once, with someone's light hand, ordinary meatballs turned into ... "hedgehogs." Thus, delivering true pleasure not only to gourmets, but also to those who are not indifferent to the aesthetic presentation of dishes.

To make ordinary meatballs look like hedgehogs, those products that are not mixed with minced meat during the heat treatment and keep their shape well are added to the stuffing. Tasty “hedgehogs” are made from minced meat and cabbage, minced meat and carrots, but more often they are made from minced meat and rice.

Hedgehogs made from minced meat with rice: the subtleties of cooking

For cooking “hedgehogs” you can use any meat - beef, pork, chicken - or mixed minced meat.
It is desirable to take rice long-grain, so that it effectively stands out against the background of minced meat. For the same reason, it should not be boiled, as is done for regular meatballs or meatballs. It is enough to wash the rice in several waters, and then soak for 1-2 hours. During this time it will swell well, so in the process of cooking it will not actively absorb gravy.
Some housewives add minced egg. It, of course, is a link, but the main effect on the appearance of the products has a properly kneaded minced meat, as well as the proportions of meat and rice.
So that the “hedgehogs” do not fall apart during cooking, turning into a porridge, the stuffing should be knocked out especially carefully. It should be so tight that it looked like one.
You shouldn't put a lot of rice in mince. First, a large amount of rice will make the stuffing loose and as a result the “hedgehogs” will fall apart. Secondly, rice will muffle the taste of meat.
After connecting the minced meat with rice, the meatballs are rolled into balls.
“Hedgehogs” can be cooked in a frying pan, in an oven, in a double boiler, in a multi-cooker, in a microwave. It all depends on the taste preferences of the hostess and her household. In a pan, the dish turns out to be more high-calorie than in the oven, and in a double boiler, it comes out almost dietary, because the meatballs are steamed without adding oil.
Gravy for “hedgehogs” can be cooked to your liking, using those products and vegetables that are in stock. It can be sour cream, tomato, with the addition of various spices and herbs. The density of the gravy is given by flour, which is added in the process of roasting vegetables or diluted with water and then it is poured over already browned vegetables.

Hedgehogs from minced meat with rice: in a pan

Ingredients:

mixed beef (beef and pork) - 0.5 kg;
onions - 2 pcs .;
dry rice - 0.5 st;
salt - to taste;
ground black pepper - pinch;
tomato paste - 1 tbsp. l .;
small carrots - 1 pc .;
flour - 1 tsp;
eggs - 1 pc .;
sugar - 0, 3 tsp;
water;
vegetable oil - 1-2 tbsp. l

Method of preparation

Rinse the rice, soak for 1-2 hours. Drop it on a sieve, dry it.
Clean both bulbs, rinse with cold water. Cut into small cubes. Divide into two parts. One part of the onion will go into the stuffing, and the other you later use to make gravy.
Peel carrots, wash, grate or cut into very thin straws.
Place minced onion, egg, salt and pepper in the minced meat. Knead your hands thoroughly to a smooth, even mass. Put the rice and knead again.
Separate small apple-sized slices from mincemeat, roll up dense balls of them. To keep the stuffing from sticking to your hands, periodically moisten them with cold water.
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Spice up the soft onions and carrots on it. Add tomato paste, mix.
Dissolve flour with a small amount of water. With continuous stirring, pour the flour talker into the pan with the vegetables. Put salt, sugar and pepper. Add enough water to make the sauce of the thickness you want.
Put the “hedgehogs” in the skillet (preferably in one layer). Fill with gravy. Bring to a boil, then reduce the fire to a minimum. Cover the saucepan and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add hot water as needed.
Put ready-made “hedgehogs” on a plate, pour with gravy. It turned out quite an independent dish, but if you want it to be satisfying, you can serve them with any side dish.

Hedgehogs made of meat with rice: in the oven

Ingredients:

any stuffing - 0, 5 kg;
onions - 1 pc .;
long-grain rice - 0, 5 tbsp .;
salt - to taste;
ground coriander - 0, 5 tsp;
tomato paste - 1 tbsp. l .;
sour cream - 1 tbsp. l .;
vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l .;
sugar - 0, 3 tsp;
garlic - 2 cloves.

Method of preparation

First, rinse the rice, fill it with cold water for one hour. Then fold to a strainer so that the seeds are dry.
Chop onion and garlic in a blender, add to the mince, put salt, pepper and coriander. Knead the meat very well, as the fate of future “hedgehogs” will depend on it: they will fall apart during cooking or not.
Mix the mince with the rice and knead again. Roll round meatballs.
Pour oil into heat-resistant dishes, put them in one row of “hedgehogs”.
Prepare the fill. To do this, put in a bowl of tomato paste and sour cream, mix well. Dilute with a small amount of warm water, achieving the desired consistency. Salt to taste, add some sugar. Stir.
Cover with fill "hedgehogs". It is not necessary to fill them completely, otherwise they will simply weld. In order for a light crust to form on them, they must half extend over the sauce.
Cover the dishes with a lid or foil and send to the oven, preheated to 200 °, for 40 minutes. 15 minutes before the readiness, remove the foil so that the hedgehogs will redden.
Serve “hedgehogs” with any side dish or vegetable salad.

Hedgehogs from meat with rice: in a slow cooker

Ingredients:

minced meat - 0.5 kg;
rice - 0. 5;
medium onions - 2 pcs .;
garlic - 2 cloves;
tomatoes - 4 pcs .;
sugar - 0, 3 tsp;
small carrots - 1 pc .;
dried basil - 0, 3 tsp;
black pepper to taste;
salt;
vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l

Method of preparation

Rinse the rice in several waters, soak for 1 hour.
Peel onions, garlic and carrots, wash them. Chop one onion together with garlic in a blender and rub carrots on a fine grater. Finely chop the second onion.
Cut the tomatoes into several pieces, cut the stalks. Grind in a blender to a state of mashed potatoes.
Mix vegetables with minced meat. Put salt and pepper. Knead until smooth. Add half the norm of rice, mix well again. Roll up minced balls the size of an average apple.
Roll meatballs in the remaining rice, trying to use it completely.
Pour oil into the bowl of the multicooker, heat it in the “Frying” or “Baking” mode. Put the remaining onions. Save to softness. Add tomato puree, mix. Pour in enough water to make the desired consistency of the sauce. Boil for 1-2 minutes. Put salt, pepper, sugar, basil. Disconnect the multicooker.
Grease the steaming tank with oil, put the “hedgehogs” into it, trying not to damage the rice breading. Lower the container into the multicooker. Close the lid. Set the cooking mode to steam. Cook 40 minutes.
Put “hedgehogs” on a plate, pour over the cooked sauce.

Mistress to note

Some housewives roll raw “hedgehogs” in flour breading, and then fry in a pan. Of course, it turns out delicious, but the crust, which forms on the surface, does not allow the risinks to straighten up, thus making this dish look like ordinary meatballs.

To diversify the taste of "hedgehogs", you can add not only onions, but also other vegetables to the mince.

Pouring to the "hedgehogs" will suit anyone: tomato, sour cream, vegetable.