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1
Soak the sour cherries in water to cover for 1/2 hour.
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2
Put the meat in a bowl.
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3
Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon, and knead vigorously to achieve a soft, pasty texture.
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4
Roll into balls the size of fat marbles and fry briefly in shallow oil, turning them and shaking the pan until they change color all over.
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5
You will have to do them in batches.
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6
Lift them out with a slotted spoon.
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7
They should be pink and underdone inside.
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8
In a large saucepan, fry the onion in 2 tablespoons oil till soft and golden, add the cherries with their soaking water and the lemon juice, and simmer for 10 minutes.
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9
Add the meatballs and cook gently for 510 minutes, turning them until they are cooked through and have absorbed the cherry juices.
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10
Serve the meatballs with their sauce on little rounds of pita bread split in half and arranged on a large flat platter.
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11
Or serve with plain rice.
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12
Prepare a tomato sauce: Fry a chopped onion with 2 chopped garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons oil.
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13
Add 4 peeled and chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, and a little water.
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14
Add the cherries and meatballs and simmer until the meatballs are tender.
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15
For another Syrian version, blend half the soaked cherries with the soaking water in the food processor and add 12 tablespoons pomegranate syrup (concentrate or molasses).
