July 06, 2021
Middle Eastern Meatballs with Cherries & Spicy Zhoug
A wonderful take on meatballs, if you love middle eastern flavours then this is the perfect dish. The meatballs are full of spices and the cherries add a slight sweetness to the finished dish. Serve with plain rice, pilaf or flatbread.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
500g beef mince
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tbsp Lebanese 7 spice (shop bought or make your own)
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 egg
1 onion, finely diced
70g dried cherries
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
Handful of parsley, roughly chopped
Olive oil
For the zhoug:
50g coriander
30g parsley
2 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
2-6 jalapenos (depending how spicy you like!)
1 tbsp ground cardamom
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
*Lebanese 7 spice: 1 tbsp ground allspice, 1 tbsp ground cloves, 1 tbsp ground nutmeg, 1 tbsp ground fenugreek, 1 tbsp ground ginger, 2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp ground cinnamon.
Method
-
Combine the beef mince, Lebanese 7 spice, chilli flakes, egg, 1 1/2 tsp sea salt & some chopped parsley in a bowl, use your hand to mix together until well combined then form into meatballs.
-
Heat a little olive oil in a skillet on a medium/high heat and brown the meatballs on both sides. Turn the heat down and add the onions, fry for a few minutes to soften then add the dried cherries and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer then cover. Turn the heat down and cook for around 20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked all the way through.
-
Meanwhile make the zhoug by blending all the ingredients together.
-
Check the meatballs are cooked and season the sauce with salt. Garnish with a the zhoug, some chopped parsley and yogurt if you wish.