Denise says:

  • Choose the leanest beef mince for this recipe.  Perfect for family gatherings as it is easy to serve and the meat balls can be made and frozen in advance.

Ingredients:

  • For The Meatballs
  • 4 onions – 2 quartered, 2 halved and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato puree
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon chilli powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 kg pack extra lean beef mince
  • 4 tablespoons fine matzah meal or plain flour
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ~
  • 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 300g chanteray carrot – cut in half or regular carrots cut into batons
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 150ml red wine
  • 2 lemons – zest (and use juice for bulghur wheat)
  • 150g pitted dates
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable stock powder
  • For the Bulghur Wheat
  • 400g bulghur wheat
  • 2 x 400g tin chick peas
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable stock powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • Garnish: Sprigs of fresh coriander

Method

  1. Put the quartered onion in the food processor to finely chop.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon tomato puree, the garlic, egg, chilli powder, matzah meal,  cumin and salt and pepper and blitz briefly again. Remove this mixture from the food processor and work the mince in with your hands ensuring that it is evenly distributed.
  3. Divide into even small balls, transfer to a tray lined with baking parchment paper and put in the fridge to firm up for 15 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to Bake to 200C/ 400F/ Gas mark 6.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Set aside.
  5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the sliced onion, turmeric, coriander, carrots to the pan and stir fry briefly to soften them a little.
  6. Then add the tomatoes, red wine and 1 tin of water, lemon zest, remaining tomato puree, the dates and vegetable powder. simmer for 15 minutes covered.
  7. Add the cooked meat balls to the pan, cover and simmer for 5- 10 minutes or until the carrots are soft.
  8. While the tagine is cooking, tip the bulghur wheat into a deep saucepan, add the chick peas and liquid from the tin. Add 2 tins of water, the vegetable stock powder, ground coriander and reserved lemon juice.
  9. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the bulghur wheat is cooked and liquid has been absorbed.
Garnish with sprigs of fresh coriander.