Lamb Kefta

I know if I make meatballs for dinner, there'll be smiles all round. It doesn't matter what kind of meatball or what type of sauce they are in, the last ball in the pan will be fought over and the sauce mopped up with chunks of bread. Meatballs are my fallback position. You know those days when you pace up and down the supermarket aisles for ages, wondering what you are going to make for dinner and nothing immediately presents itself as a viable option? Those are my meatball days. You can bet, when my head is cloudy and I'm struggling for meal ideas, there's definitely a chance of meatballs. (And yes, I apologise for that last sentence.)

Lamb Kefta

Serves 4 - 6

slightly adapted from here

For the Kefta:

600g ground lamb

1½ tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 garlic cloves, minced

Finely grated zest of ½ lemon

For the Sauce:

1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

150g moghrabieh

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 large cinnamon quill

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper

1 x 700g bottle passata

750ml chicken or beef stock

100g pine nuts

Toast the Moghrabieh and Pine Nuts:

In a large, wide pan over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the moghrabieh and cook in the oil until golden and toasted. This will only take a few minutes. Add enough boiling water to cover the moghrabieh and boil for about 5 - 8 minutes until they are starting to become tender. Remove from the pan, drain and set aside.

Wipe the pan dry and toast the pine nuts until they too are golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Make the Kefta:

Put all the kefta ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Take 2 tablespoons of mixture and form into balls.

Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the pan you toasted the moghrabieh and pine nuts in over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for about 4 - 5 minutes, turning regularly, until browned all over. Remove from pan and set aside.

Make the Sauce:

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan, lower the heat to medium low. Add the onions, garlic, cinnamon and cumin and cook for about 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan. Be careful not to burn the spices. Add the chickpeas and the passata. Bring to boil and add the stock and simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes, until reduced by half. Return the meatballs to the pan and add the moghrabieh and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.