This is a great dinner party dish, particularly as you can make the harissa and chermoula in advance and store it in an airtight container. It does take a little longer than my normal recipes though, due to the different parts involved.
Ingredients
- 600g Lamb Mince
- 2 Spring Onions, green part only, finely chopped
- 2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp Hot Paprika
- ½ tsp Salt
- Freshly ground Black Pepper
- 2 tbs Mint leaves, finely chopped, plus extra shredded leaves to garnish
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Asafoetida
- 2 Cinnamon Quills
- 6cm piece Fresh Ginger, grated
- 400g Can Chopped Tomatoes
- 1 tbs Golden Syrup
- 150ml Fructose Free Stock
Harrisa Paste Ingredients
- 10-12 Dried Chillies
- 2 Spring Onions, green part only, roughly chopped
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp Ground Caraway Seeds
- ½ tsp Ground Cumin
Chermoula Ingredients
- 2 Spring Onions, green part only, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp Hot Paprika
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 handfuls Fresh Mint Leaves, chopped (about 50g)
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
To Serve
- Rice/Quinoa
- Shredded Mint Leaves
- Salad
Utensils
- Small food processor
- Large bowl
- Small flameproof casserole dish or large saucepan, with lid
Method
- For the harissa paste – soak the dried chillies in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain. Remove the stems and seeds. In the food processor combine the chilli, spring onions, salt and olive oil. Blend. Add remaining spices and blend to form a smooth paste. If not using immediately then drizzle a small amount of olive oil on top and store in airtight container in the fridge.
- For the chermoula – place all its ingredients in a clean small food processor along with 1 teaspoon of the harissa paste, season and blend to form a smooth paste, then set aside.
- To make the meatballs, place the lamb in a bowl with the spring onion, cumin, coriander, paprika, mint, salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Mix well, with your hands, then shape into tablespoonfuls sized balls.
- Heat the oil in the casserole dish or saucepan over a medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning, for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the asafoedita and cinnamon to the pan and reduce heat to medium, Cook for 1 minute, stir in the ginger and cook for a further minute. Add the tomato, golden syrup, stock and 2 tbs of chermoula then bring to a simmer. Add meatballs to the sauce and simmer, uncovered, stirring a few times, for 20-25 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened and the meatballs are cooked through. Remove the cinnamon quill and discard. Stir in the remaining chermoula, then season.
- Scatter with the shredded mint leaves and serve with rice/quinoa and a fresh salad.
