Lisa’s Spicy Lamb Meatballs
Ingredients
Makes four portions
40g unsalted butter
160g onion, finely chopped
4 teaspoons chaat masala
500g lean, good-quality lamb mince
110g minced pancetta
4 cloves of roasted garlic (see tip)
2 red or green chillies, deseeded and finely
chopped
2cm fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon salt
olive oil, to drizzle
For the yoghurt pittas
300g self-raising flour
200g full-fat natural yoghurt
2 teaspoons nigella seeds
good pinch of salt
about 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
For the three-cabbage slaw
¼ red cabbage, finely sliced
¼ white cabbage, finely sliced
¼ sweetheart cabbage, finely sliced
1 carrot, peeled and finely sliced
1 red onion, finely sliced
100g good-quality mayonnaise
100g crème fraîche
juice and finely grated zest of 1 lime
15g coriander, leaves and stems chopped
For the roasted garlic mayonnaise
200g mayonnaise
100g crème fraîche
3 cloves of roasted garlic
2 tablespoons good-quality chicken stock (ideally homemade)
good pinch of salt
Method
Melt the butter in a medium pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the onion and chaat masala, then cook for 3–5 minutes, until the onions are soft. Remove from
the pan and leave to cool.
Place the lamb mince into a large mixing bowl and add the cooled onions, minced pancetta, roasted garlic, and the chilli, ginger root and salt. Mix well until combined.
Divide the mixture into 12 equal-sized balls. Place these on a tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Meanwhile, prepare the pittas. In a large bowl combine the flour, yoghurt, nigella seeds and salt. Mix well and bring the ingredients together to form a dough. Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead it for 4–5 minutes, until smooth. Then, lightly wrap the dough in cling film and leave it to rest for 15 minutes.
Make the slaw. Mix together the cabbages, carrot and red onion in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise, crème fraîche and lime juice and zest and mix well to combine.
Add the chopped coriander, mix lightly, then season with salt to taste. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
To prepare the roasted garlic mayonnaise, place all the ingredients in a bowl and, using a hand blender, blitz until smooth. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
Heat a griddle to hot. Remove the meatballs from the fridge and lightly drizzle a small amount of olive oil over each one.
Place the meatballs on to the hot griddle, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 8–10 minutes, turning every 1–2 minutes, until the meatballs are just cooked through in the middle and lovely and charred on the outsides. Remove from the heat and transfer to a plate to rest.
While the meatballs are resting, quickly cook the pittas. Heat a griddle or a large non-stick frying pan until hot.
Remove the dough from the cling film and cut it into 8 equal-sized balls.
Lightly oil a clean work surface and rolling pin. One piece at a time, place the dough on to the oiled surface and rub a small amount of oil on top. Roll it out to a circle
2mm thick.
Place the pitta on the griddle or in the hot frying pan on a medium heat and cook for 1½ minutes on each side, until lightly golden and soft enough to fold easily. Repeat
to cook all the pittas, then serve with the meatballs, slaw and roasted garlic mayo.
