Mince

Moroccan Beef Meatballs

Name: Moroccan Beef Meatballs Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 - 4 people
Ingredients: 500g minced beef; 2 tsp garam masala; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp chilli flakes; 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated; 1 red onion, grated; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; Salt; Olive oil, for frying; Meatball sauce:; 1 onion, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 1/4 tsp ground ginger; 1/4 tsp cinnamon; 1 1/2 tsp garam masala; 1/4 tsp chilli flakes; 1 400g tinned tomatoes; 1 Tbsp honey; 1 tsp lemon juice Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Herb couscous:; 1 cup couscous; 1 cup vegetable stock; Olive oil, for drizzling; 1 squeeze lemon juice; 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped; 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped; Yoghurt dipping sauce:; 1 cup plain yoghurt; 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

This meal can be served on a platter as an appetiser or as a main meal.

Recipe overview

Prep: 15 min
Cooking: 15 min
Ready in 30 min
Serves 2 - 4 people

Ingredients

500g minced beef
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 red onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt
Olive oil, for frying

Meatball sauce::
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1 400g tinned tomatoes
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Herb couscous::
1 cup couscous
1 cup vegetable stock
Olive oil, for drizzling
1 squeeze lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Yoghurt dipping sauce::
1 cup plain yoghurt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tips and tricks

This meal can be served on a platter as an appetiser or as a main meal.

Method

Using your hands, combine the minced beef with the garam masala, cumin, chilli flakes, fresh ginger, red onion and garlic and generously season with salt.
Form the minced beef mixture into meatballs about the size of golf balls
Heat a large frying pan on a medium-high heat, pour a few tablespoons of olive oil in the pan and fry the meatballs for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until they are golden brown all over.
To make the meatball sauce heat a splash of olive oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat and cook the onions until they are soft and lightly golden.
Add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, garam masala and chilli flakes and fry for an additional minute. Stir in the tomatoes, honey and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and place the meatballs into the sauce, gently simmer on a low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs are cooked through.
In the meantime, bring the vegetable stock and couscous to the boil in a small saucepan, cover and remove from the heat. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender.
Make the dipping sauce by combining the yogurt with the olive oil and lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fluff the couscous with a fork, drizzle over a splash of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice and stir in the herbs. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Spoon the Moroccan meatballs and sauce over the herb couscous. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with the yoghurt dipping sauce.