Name: Moroccan Lamb Meatballs
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (for cooking); Meatballs:; 500 g / 1 lb lamb mince (ground lamb) (Note 1); 1 small onion , grated using box grater (~1/2 cup, including juices, Note 2); 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (sub ordinary); 1 egg; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 1/4 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , finely chopped; 1 1/2 tsp EACH cumin, coriander, paprika (any, but I like smoked paprika); 1/2 tsp EACH cinnamon, cayenne pepper (add more for spicy); 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; Minted Yoghurt Sauce (Note 3):; 3/4 cup plain yoghurt (I use Greek); 1/2 cup (tightly packed) mint leaves; 2 tsp lemon juice; 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt; To Serve as pockets:; 4 pita pockets , Lebanese or pita bread; 5 cups shredded lettuce (iceberg, cost/romaine); 2 tomatoes , halved, thinly sliced; 1 red onion , halved, finely sliced; OR Shredded Red Cabbage, Carrot and Mint Salad (instead of lettuce, tomato and onion); Extra coriander/cilantro leaves, finely chopped (optional)

1. Meat – This recipe is also terrific with beef, and very good with chicken and turkey. No recipe adjustments. If baking the chicken or turkey meatballs, spray VERY well with oil!

2. Grating onion – Tried and proven, much loved technique for adding extra flavour into meatballs, keeping them soft, and avoiding the need to pre-cook diced onion. It works!

3. Minted yogurt – Blitzing / blending yogurt “breaks” it and makes it runny and very thin. Sometimes that’s what I want. But usually I want a bit of thickness. So to achieve that, blitz the mint with just some of the yogurt then stir the rest in later.

Alternatives – Stir very finely chopped mint into plain yogurt. Or just use plain yogurt mixed with a bit of garlic, lemon juice and salt.

4. Oven option – avoid stove splatter and meatballs will stay more round but you won’t get as good browning on them without overcooking them.

Preheat oven to Spray meatballs generously with oil then bake for 20 minutes at 220°C/450°F (200°C fan) until you get some light browning. Sometimes I put them on a rack to keep them round (spray rack with oil then put on a tray).

5. Suggested sides if you opt out of the pita pockets:The Shredded Red Cabbage, Carrot and Mint Salad is great as a side salad as well, this Middle Eastern chopped salad (skip the chickpeas), Israeli Couscous Salad, Pico de Gallo (I know it’s Mexican but the flavours are terrific paired with Middle Eastern), just the rice in this baked Chicken & Rice recipe, Chargrilled Vegetables, Lemon Pilaf (fab pairing!), Curried Basmati Rice Pilaf, this Chickpea Rice Pilaf, Fattoush. Because the meatballs are heavily spiced, opt for sides with fresh flavours.

Nutrition assuming this serves 5 people, including 1 pita pocket per person and 1 1/2 tablespoons of lamb fat is discarded after cooking.

Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs

Minted Yoghurt Sauce (note 3)

To Serve As Pockets

Steps

Notes

Nutrition Facts