Middle Eastern Lamb Meatballs

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Is there anything more versatile than the humble meatball? From spag bol to a winning side dish, meatball shakshuka to the perfect in-between snack, these guys have got you sorted. And these Middle Eastern Lamb Meatballs are a step above the rest, as deliciously flavoursome as they are easy to make. Let's get cookin'.

Preparation: 20 mins

Cooking: 30 mins

Ingredients

Serves 4

For the meatballs

400g lean lamb mince

1 egg

½ small red onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground allspice

Salt and freshly milled pepper

100g baby spinach leaves

50g dried cranberries

50g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

Small handful freshly chopped coriander, to garnish

For the rice

2 tablespoons olive oil

500g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into small cubes

1 onion, finely chopped

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 garlic clove, crushed

400g basmati rice

800ml hot chicken stock

Method

For the rice, heat half the oil in a heavy based or earthenware pan and cook the squash, onion, cumin and garlic for 10 minutes. Stir in the rice and stock then bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and steam gently for 10-15 minutes until squash is cooked, the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes.
For the meatballs, place lamb, egg, onion, spices, salt and pepper into a large bowl and mix well. Shape into 16 small meatballs.
Heat the remaining oil in a large non-stick pan and fry the meatballs for 10-15 minutes or until brown all over.
Stir the spinach leaves, cranberries and pistachio nuts into the rice. Position the meatballs evenly over the rice mixture.
Garnish with the coriander and serve immediately.

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