Spicy Lamb Meatballs Recipe

Spicy lamb meatballs make a change from the usual beef accompaniment that go with spaghetti. This deliciously fragranced recipe includes plenty of delicious ingredients to give the meatballs a Middle Eastern Flavour and we've packed in plenty of fresh veggies too, for a healthy hit.

HOW TO MAKE SPICY LAMB MEATBALLS

Ingredients

• 500g lean minced lamb
• 2tsp ground coriander
• 2tsp ground cumin
• 2tsp paprika
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 65g dried figs, roughly chopped
• 3tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• 40g stale breadcrumbs
• 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 1tbsp sunflower oil

For the salad

• 250g pouch basmati rice
• 3tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• A small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
• A small bunch of mint, roughly chopped
• 1 large courgette, thinly sliced
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 150g baby broad beans, podded
• 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon

For the yogurt dressing

• 300g natural yogurt
• 1tbsp chopped mint
• 1tbsp chopped dill
• 4-6tbsp buttermilk

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C fan, gas 6. Tip the lamb into a large mixing bowl and combine together with the spices, crushed garlic, onion, figs, pine nuts, breadcrumbs and the egg. Season to taste and divide the mixture into 12 even-sized balls.

2. Cook the rice according to the pack instructions and set aside to cool. Make the dressing: in a medium bowl, combine together the yoghurt, mint, dill and enough of the buttermilk to create a loose consistency. Season to taste and set aside.

3. Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the meatballs and fry for 5-7 minutes or until evenly browned. Transfer to a roasting tin and finish off in the oven for a further 10-15 minutes.

4. Toss together the cooked rice, pine nuts, fresh herbs, courgette, red onion and broad beans. Finish with the olive oil and lemon. Season to taste. Top with the meatballs and a good drizzle of the yoghurt dressing. Sprinkle over any remaining herbs and serve with griddled flatbreads.