Spiced Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Nothing is more comforting that meatballs on a cold winters night! These are a good variation on the usual italian variety, and are great for people wanting to get their hands dirty! A hit with kids and adults alike - the herbs in these meatballs balance each other perfectly and when I cooked them last night, there were no leftovers in anyones bowl!

Spiced Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Please note that if you do not have a tagine – a simple non-stick fry pan will do the trick, just don’t use a lid!

Ingredients

for the meatballs

5OOg minced beef (or lamb if preferred)

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoon soy sauce

small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped (optional)

small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

Oil for frying

for the tomato sauce

3 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 x 400gram tin chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried mixed Italian herbs

2 teaspoon caster sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place beef (or lamb), garlic, onion, ginger, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, coriander and parsley into a bowl and mix well with your hands.

Using your hands roll the mixture into balls just slightly smaller than a ping-pong ball.

Heat some oil in the tagine and fry the meatballs until golden brown all over the outside.

Turn the heat down and place lid on tagine. Cook for a further 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.

Heat the oil in a separate fry pan over a gentle heat and sauté the onions and garlic until soft but not brown.

Add the chopped tomatoes, the dried herbs and the sugar. Give everything a good stir and season with some salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Let the mixture bubble for 10 minutes until it becomes thick, and has a lovely sticky, rich red colour.

Pour the sauce over the meatballs and simmer gently over a low heat for 15 minutes.

Serve with Cous Cous, Plain Rice or your choice of Pasta and a sprinkle of grated parmesan.

Note: Chilli can also be added to this dish for a spicier version!