Spiced lamb meatballs served with rice and a tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 onion (roughly chopped)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 0.5 tsp ground coriander
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tblsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 450 g lean minced lamb
- 50 g pine nuts
- sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 tblsp olive oil
- for the chilli tomato sauce
- 1 red chilli (seeded and finely chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 680 g jar passata (if you don't want to use passata (sieved tomatoes) simply replace with two cans of chopped tomatoes)
- 1 tsp sugar
- serve with plain boiled rice
Method
- Place the onion in a food processor and whizz to a fine purée. Tip into a bowl with the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, parsley, lamb and pine nuts.
- Season and work to a paste with your hands. Roll the paste into small walnut-sized balls; you should have about 20 in total. Chill for 15 minutes to firm up if time allows.
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF/Gas 6).
- Toss the meatballs in the oil and place in an ovenproof dish. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden.
- Meanwhile, place the chilli, garlic, passata and sugar in a jug.
- Season and mix well to combine. Pour over the meatballs and bake for another 30 minutes, turning the meatballs once until the sauce has slightly reduced and thickened.
- Serve hot with some rice in warmed wide-rimmed bowls.
Recipe courtesy of Bord Bia.
