The lamb meatballs are similar to the stuffing of the popular Moroccan Merguez sausage. Though the ingredient list is long, they are simple to prepare. The harissa yogurt is an essential part of this dish. Serve with couscous or a flatbread. This exciting dish can be a dinner on its own or part of a Mezze.
Servings: 4
Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
Harissa Yogurt:
- 1 cup (240 ml) Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp harissa paste or to taste
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- salt to taste
Lamb Meatballs:
- 1 lb (450 g) ground lamb
- 1/2 cup (45 g) breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup (10 g) finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 small onion, finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 egg, beaten
- olive oil for cooking
Couscous:
- 1 cup (175 g) couscous
- 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 can (15 oz/425 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- salt and pepper to taste
- lat-leaf parsley, finely chopped for garnish
Preparation:
Mix Greek yogurt, harissa paste, fresh lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. Adjust the spiciness to your liking. Set aside in the fridge.
In a large mixing bowl, combine ground lamb, breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, minced onion, minced garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Add the beaten egg to the mixture and combine thoroughly. Shape the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs in the skillet in 2-3 batches until browned on all sides and cooked through (about 5-8 minutes per batch). Keep warm.
In a medium-sized pot, add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Add ground cumin, ground coriander, and taste for salt and pepper. Add the drained chickpeas and stir in gently the couscous. Cover the pot, and let it sit for 5 minutes over very low heat. Fluff it up with a fork to separate the grains.
Arrange the couscous and lamb meatballs on a serving platter. Serve the harissa yogurt sauce on the side. Garnish with chopped parsley.
