Lamb meatballs in fresh tomato sauce (kefta)

Served after the Moroccan fish with the other meat dishes, these lamb meatballs are cooked in a thick and aromatic tomato sauce and scattered with chopped parsley.

Ingredients

• ½ bunchcoriander, chopped
• ½ bunchflat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus extra, to serve
• 600 gminced lamb
• 2 tspground cumin
• 2 tspsweet paprika
• 80 ml(⅓ cup) olive oil
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 1 kgtomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped (see Note)
• 2garlic cloves, chopped

Instructions

Combine coriander, parsley, minced lamb and 1 tsp each cumin and paprika in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Roll into 24 x 4 cm meatballs and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, cook meatballs, turning, for 8 minutes or until browned all over. Remove from pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-low and add onion to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until very soft and golden. Add tomatoes, remaining cumin, paprika and garlic. Season and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until thickened. 

Return meatballs to the sauce. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Scatter with extra chopped parsley, to serve.

Note
• Peeling tomatoes: bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Cut a small cross in the skin at the base of each tomato and then working in batches, blanch in boiling water for 20 seconds. Remove from water and refresh immediately in a bowl of iced water. Cool, then remove skins from tomatoes.

Cook's notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.