Best Crispy Lamb Meatballs With Chickpeas And Eggplant Recipes

CRISPY LAMB MEATBALLS WITH CHICKPEAS AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Combine lamb, fennel seeds, garlic and 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and black pepper to taste, and mix until everything is well combined and the spices are evenly distributed.
• Using your hands, roll lamb mixture into balls about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter, placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate. You should have about 12 meatballs.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs - work in batches if your skillet can't comfortably fit them all without crowding - and cook, gently rotating them occasionally so they more or less brown on all sides while keeping a vaguely round shape, 8 to 10 minutes. (Do not stress about this part; they will be delicious no matter what shape they are.) After they are evenly browned and cooked through, transfer them to a plate, leaving the fat and any browned bits behind.
• Add 4 tablespoons oil to the skillet and, working in batches, if needed, add eggplant slices in an even layer, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook the slices, flipping them once, until they are browned on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add more oil as needed. After eggplant slices are cooked and browned, transfer them to the plate with the meatballs.
• Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to the skillet, along with chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, shaking the skillet and stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are nicely browned, 3 to 5 minutes. (They won't exactly crisp; you're just looking to take the edge off and get them nicely seasoned.)
• Season yogurt with salt and pepper and smear onto the bottom of a large plate or serving platter. Top with meatballs, eggplant and chickpeas. Scatter with greens and cilantro, and then squeeze lemon halves over everything before serving.

LITTLE LAMB MEATBALLS IN A SPICY EGGPLANT TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Combine eggplant, olive oil, salt and black pepper in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until eggplant begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Mix in minced onion and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until onion softens, 4 minutes.
• Stir in chicken broth and marinara sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce mixture has reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
• Whisk bread crumbs, egg, and Greek yogurt in a large bowl until the bread crumbs absorb all the liquid, about 3 minutes.
• Mix onions, garlic, Kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and coriander into the bread crumb mixture.
• Crumble lamb into bread crumb spice mixture; stir in cayenne pepper.
• Form lamb mixture into small meatballs and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Place baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake until browned, but still pink inside, about 10 minutes.
• Remove meatballs from the oven and stir into simmering sauce. Simmer over low heat until sauce begins to thicken, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Garnish with chopped fresh mint.

SPICY MEATBALLS WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground lamb, raw rice, salt, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, onion and garlic. Knead mixture well.
• Coat a sheet pan or roasting pan lightly with olive oil. With wet hands, form mixture into 1-ounce meatballs and arrange in one layer on pan. Bake, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove and let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, make the gravy: Place a wide heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion, sprinkle lightly with salt and cook, stirring until softened and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add saffron with soaking water, cumin, red-pepper flakes and cinnamon stick. Crush tomatoes with your hands, and add to pot, along with all tomato juices. Raise heat to medium-high, add broth and bring to a simmer. Taste and add more salt or red-pepper flakes as needed. Carefully add meatballs and adjust heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
• Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add chickpeas and a splash of water and heat through. Season to taste with salt. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve each diner 5 or 6 meatballs and plenty of gravy. Add a large spoonful of chickpeas on the side.