Name: Harissa meatballs
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 500g lamb mince; 5 dried apricots finely chopped; 40g pine nuts toasted, plus extra to serve; 50g soft breadcrumbs; 1 egg beaten; 1 tsp ground cumin; ½ a small bunch coriander leaves picked and finely chopped; 1 large onion finely chopped; 4 tbsp Belazu Rose Harissa Pesto; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 cloves garlic finely chopped; ¼ - ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional); 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 400g tin chickpeas drained and rinsed; 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses; 50g feta crumbled; yogurt and buttered couscous to serve

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Harissa meatballs

Harissa meatballs

Anna Glover

Published: October 12, 2021 at 12:24 PM

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Serves 4

Easy

Total time: 1 hr

+ chilling

A star rating of 5 out of 5.3 ratingsRate

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Sweet and spiced, these lamb meatballs with feta are inspired by classic Middle Eastern flavours, with harissa, pomegranate molasses, dried apricots and fragrant spices. Serve with flatbreads or spoon over buttered couscous for a warming hug in a bowl

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Alternatives

Complete the dish

Make these harissa lamb meatballs, then check out our lamb meatballs, healthy meatballs, venison meatballs, harissa chicken meatballs and more meatball recipes. For something more substantial, tuck into our spicy lamb burgers.

Ingredients

Nutrition

500g lamb mince
5 dried apricots

finely chopped
40g pine nuts

toasted, plus extra to serve
50g soft breadcrumbs
1 egg

beaten
1 tsp ground cumin
½ a small bunch coriander

leaves picked and finely chopped
1 large onion

finely chopped
4 tbsp Belazu Rose Harissa Pesto
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic

finely chopped
¼ - ½ tsp chilli flakes

(optional)
400g tin chopped tomatoes
400g tin chickpeas

drained and rinsed
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
50g feta

crumbled
yogurt and buttered couscous

to serve

Nutrition: per serving

kcal647
fat39.7g
saturates11.8g
carbs31g
sugars14.2g
fibre7.6g
protein37.5g
salt1.5g

Method

step 1

Tip the lamb, apricots, pine nuts, breadcrumbs, egg, cumin, half the coriander, half the onion and half the Belazu Rose Harissa Pesto into a large bowl with some seasoning. Mix well, using clean hands, and roll into 28-30 meatballs, transfer to a plate or tray and chill for 10 minutes.
step 2

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, deep frying pan and fry the meatballs until golden brown all over. Scoop out onto a plate when browned using a slotted spoon – you may need to do this in batches.
step 3

Heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the remaining onion for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and chilli flakes, if using, and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant. Tip in the tomatoes, half a can of water, the remaining Belazu Rose Harissa Pesto, the chickpeas and pomegranate molasses. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until thickened and saucy. Nestle in the meatballs and pour in any resting juices, then return to a simmer and cook, covered, for 10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.
step 4

Scatter over the feta and a few more pine nuts, then top with a swirl of yogurt and the rest of the coriander. Serve with some buttered couscous on the side.

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Authors

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Anna GloverSenior food editor

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A star rating of 5 out of 5.3 ratings

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