Best Meatballs With Chick Peas Preserved Lemon Morocco Recipes

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SPICY MEATBALLS WITH CHICKPEAS



Spicy Meatballs With Chickpeas image

Meatballs are the ultimate comfort food, and these are especially nice, perfumed with cumin, coriander and cinnamon. (Feel free to use ground beef, pork or turkey if ground lamb isn't available.) They may be prepared several hours or up to 2 days in advance - they reheat beautifully. Make the tomato gravy as piquant as you like, adding a good pinch of cayenne if you wish. The optional saffron adds a floral note. If you have the time, cook your chickpeas from scratch (it's best to soak them for at least a few hours or overnight). They'll cook in less than an hour. One pound dried chickpeas will yield about 6 cups cooked.

Provided by David Tanis

Categories     dinner, meatballs, main course

Time 1h

Yield 4 to 6 servings (about 30 meatballs)

Number Of Ingredients 19

1 1/2 pounds ground lamb (or substitute ground beef, pork or turkey)
1/2 cup raw arborio rice or any white rice, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon toasted ground cumin
1 teaspoon toasted ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup finely diced onion
3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced onion
Kosher salt
Pinch of saffron, crumbled, steeped in 1/4 cup warm water (optional)
1 teaspoon toasted ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes with their juices
1 cup chicken or beef broth (or chickpea cooking liquid)
6 cups cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup chopped parsley, cilantro or a combination

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.

MEATBALLS WITH CHICK PEAS & PRESERVED LEMON -- MOROCCO



Meatballs With Chick Peas & Preserved Lemon -- Morocco image

This recipe is one of my family's all time favourite meals. We used to make this with ground lamb or beef but decided that it was healthier (& just as tasty) to use chicken instead. You need plenty of fresh crusty bread to mop the delicious sauce up with. Sometimes I double up on the meatball ingredients & freeze half of the prepared meatballs to make it easier next time I cook this dish!

Provided by Um Safia

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 2h30m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 22

3 cups ground chicken
1 medium brown onion, grated (on very finely chopped)
4 slices wholemeal bread (store bought, or use 3 slices of homemade)
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ras el hanout spice mix
1 beaten egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch black pepper
olive oil or sunflower oil (for frying)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
400 g canned chick-peas, rinsed & drained
1/2-1 preserved lemon
2 liters water
1 chicken stock cube
6 tablespoons fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
4 teaspoons ras el hanout spice mix
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
salt
olive oil or sunflower oil (for frying)

Steps:

  • To Make The Meatballs:.
  • Tear the bread into tiny pieces - to make breadcrumbs.
  • In a large bowl, mix all of the meatball ingredients. Use your hands to squich the mixture together until it is mixed really well (I usually wear gloves to do this!).
  • Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes then taking a tablespoon at a time, roll into meatballs.
  • Gently fry them in a little olive oil or sunflower oil, until they are golden on all sides. Drain on kitchen paper & set aside.
  • To Make The Sauce:.
  • Fry the onion in a little oil. When it is a pale golden colour, add the spices & cook for a further minute.
  • Remove the flesh from the preserved lemon. Wash well to remove some of the saltiness then cut very finely. Add the lemon & the rest of the ingredients (except the cilantro & the lemon juice) to the pan.
  • Cover & simmer for 1 hour.
  • After an hour, remove the lid. Reduce the sauce until you have just enough to serve the meatballs in - you don't want too much but you don't want to serve dry meatballs either! When the sauce is the right consistency, add the cilantro & lemon juice & cook for a minute.
  • Sprinkle more finely chopped cilantro over the top & serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 156.6, Fat 2.2, SaturatedFat 0.5, Cholesterol 31.1, Sodium 599.7, Carbohydrate 28.3, Fiber 4.3, Sugar 2.5, Protein 6.4

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