Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Moroccan Lamb Meatballs Recipe
Fantastically spiced Moroccan Lamb Meatballs served with a Mint Yoghurt Sauce. Stuff into pitas, go them round at a celebration or pile over pilaf! That is such a terrific recipe for lamb mince. Lamb loves Center Jap spices!
These Moroccan Lamb Meatballs are impressed by a go to to the Lakemba Evening Markets (Sydney) throughout Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims which entails intensive prayer and fasting from daybreak to nightfall.
Throughout this era, the primary drag of Lakemba transforms at evening with meals stalls lining the pavements and is a well-liked place to take pleasure in iftar, a communal feast to interrupt the quick.
When you love Center Jap meals, you’ll be in road meals heaven. A vibrant, vigorous temper, the odor of charcoal, the sizzle of BBQ’s, and probably the most wonderful odor of spices that Center Jap meals wafts by the road!
One of many (ahem – many!) issues I’ve loved from these road stalls are spiced lamb meatballs stuffed into pita pockets. So I’ve created my very own model utilizing the spice combine from my Center Jap Lamb Koftas recipe. Lamb is a protein made for heady Center Jap spice flavourings! It pairs so nicely, and the odor once they’re cooking are outrageous!
It’s all in regards to the spice combine. And also you’ll be delighted to see they’re all pantry staples – there’s an excellent probability you’ve acquired all of them!
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Lamb mince (floor lamb) – Lamb is a favorite in Center Jap delicacies! Nevertheless, these meatballs would even be terrific made with beef, chicken or turkey.
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Onion – A key flavour base in most of my savoury dishes! My secret for additional tasty, additional tender meatballs is to grate the onion over the breadcrumbs so it soaks up the juices. It softens the panko which makes the meatballs juicier and extra tender.
Plus, in the event you use diced onion you’d have to prepare dinner it individually beforehand. When it’s grated, there’s no want!
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Panko breadcrumbs – Provides bulk and absorbs moisture so the combination isn’t too moist to type meatballs. Panko breadcrumbs are simple to search out as of late within the Asian and breadcrumb aisle of grocery shops. Unusual breadcrumbs (smaller and finer, like sand) may also be used however the meatballs is not going to be fairly as tender.
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Egg – For maintaining the meatballs collectively. World’s finest meals glue!
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Garlic – Very uncommon to search out savoury dishes on my web site that don’t contain garlic!
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Spices – Traditional Center Jap combine. Cumin, coriander, paprika (any, I like smoked), cinnamon (Center Jap secret ingredient!), cayenne pepper (spiciness – be at liberty to extend or omit).
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Coriander/cilantro – For a touch of freshness and for visible functions too. Actually value utilizing, although it may be substituted with parsley.
For the pita pockets
Right here’s what you should make stuffed pita bread pockets:
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Pita bread or small Lebanese bread – Something that may be lower then pried open to stuff. A lot of the pictures within the publish are the marginally thicker “bready” pita pockets. Nevertheless, small Lebanese bread will work too – pictured under. You’ll match 3 meatballs in every half.
Flatbreads could be nice too. Stuff and roll!
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Leafy greens – Contemporary lettuce, tomato and crimson onion – For stuffing. There’s no want for dressing, simply plain is okay. Loads of flavour and juices from the meatballs, plus the mint sauce!
Dressed leafy greens – Shredded purple cabbage, carrot, mint salad pictured within the pita pocket under. This is sort of a Center Jap model slaw and pairs fantastically with the Moroccan spicing in these meatballs, in addition to including a stunning splash of color!
1. The mint sauce
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Blitz the recent mint, lemon and salt with simply 1/4 cup of yogurt. Then stir the remaining 1/2 cup of yogurt. Why 2 steps? As a result of blitzing breaks yogurt and makes it skinny and watery. To keep away from this, blitz a bit first, then stir within the remaining yogurt.
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Mint sauce thickness – The above photograph reveals the consistency of the mint sauce. Skinny sufficient to drizzle however thick sufficient to cling! Hold it within the fridge till required.
2. Make the meatballs
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Grate the onion right into a bowl utilizing a typical field grater. Why grate? As a result of the strands are nice sufficient so the onion doesn’t should be cooked individually earlier than mixing into the meat. Additionally, the onion juices combine all through which provides additional flavour. Win, win, win!
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Combine – Put all of the remaining meatball elements in a bowl and blend nicely along with your arms.
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Portion – I take advantage of a cookie scoop to portion the combination into 20 to 22 meatballs.
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Roll the combination into rounds along with your arms.
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Tip to maintain meatballs rounds – Refrigerate the meatballs for an hour to agency up the combination earlier than cooking. This can assist them keep extra spherical as you prepare dinner on the range.
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Pan fry for 8 minutes, rotating to brown throughout. Today, I take advantage of a spoon and fork to show the meatballs somewhat than tongs. I discover it simpler and likewise it helps preserve the spherical form of the meatballs.
Baking possibility – The recipe additionally features a baking possibility. I do favor pan frying over baking as a result of you may get higher color on the surface with out overcooking the within. Nevertheless, for lamb meatballs, baking works higher than different proteins as a result of it’s a fattier meat.
As soon as the meatballs are cooked, switch onto a plate and so they’re able to serve!
Proof of juicy insides:
Stuffed in pita pockets, as pictured all through the publish, with recent lettuce, tomato and onion, drizzled with the mint sauce. Or piled excessive over a phenomenal fruit and nut pilaf, or the golden Jewelled Rice Pilaf that I shared lately.
Or – make salad bowls! I can see them served on the facet of a Pearl Couscous Salad, or toss by a Center Jap Chickpea salad. Like a meatball salad. YES.
So many prospects. Share different concepts under! – Johnsat xx
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (for cooking)
- 500 g / 1 lb lamb mince (ground lamb) (Note 1)
- 1 small onion , grated using box grater (~1/2 cup, including juices, Note 2)
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (sub ordinary)
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp EACH cumin, coriander, paprika (any, but I like smoked paprika)
- 1/2 tsp EACH cinnamon, cayenne pepper (add more for spicy)
- 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 cup plain yoghurt (I use Greek)
- 1/2 cup (tightly packed) mint leaves
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 4 pita pockets , Lebanese or pita bread
- 5 cups shredded lettuce (iceberg, cost/romaine)
- 2 tomatoes , halved, thinly sliced
- 1 red onion , halved, finely sliced
- OR Shredded Red Cabbage, Carrot and Mint Salad (instead of lettuce, tomato and onion)
- Extra coriander/cilantro leaves, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Mint yogurt sauce – Set aside 1/2 cup yogurt. Place all other ingredients in a jug that fits the head of a stick blender. Blitz until it turns green – it will be runny. Stir in reserved yogurt (this thickens it again). Refrigerate until required.
- Meatballs – Place all Meatball ingredients in a bowl. Mix well with your hands. Measure out 1 heaped tablespoon, then roll into balls. Repeat with remaining mixture – should have 20 – 24 meatballs.
- Cook – Heat oil in a large non stick pan over medium heat. Add half the meatballs and cook, turning to brown all over, for 8 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer to plate. (Oven option – Note 4)
- Serving – Cut pita pockets in half, warm for 10 seconds in the microwave, then pry it open. Stuff with lettuce, tomato, onion, then meatballs (I do 2 per half pocket). Drizzle with Mint Yogurt Sauce and fresh coriander.
Notes
1. Meat – This recipe is also terrific with beef, and very good with chicken and turkey. No recipe adjustments. If baking the chicken or turkey meatballs, spray VERY well with oil!
2. Grating onion – Tried and proven, much loved technique for adding extra flavour into meatballs, keeping them soft, and avoiding the need to pre-cook diced onion. It works!
3. Minted yogurt – Blitzing / blending yogurt “breaks” it and makes it runny and very thin. Sometimes that’s what I want. But usually I want a bit of thickness. So to achieve that, blitz the mint with just some of the yogurt then stir the rest in later.
Alternatives – Stir very finely chopped mint into plain yogurt. Or just use plain yogurt mixed with a bit of garlic, lemon juice and salt.
4. Oven option – avoid stove splatter and meatballs will stay more round but you won’t get as good browning on them without overcooking them.
Preheat oven to Spray meatballs generously with oil then bake for 20 minutes at 220°C/450°F (200°C fan) until you get some light browning. Sometimes I put them on a rack to keep them round (spray rack with oil then put on a tray).
5. Suggested sides if you opt out of the pita pockets: The Shredded Red Cabbage, Carrot and Mint Salad is great as a side salad as well, this Middle Eastern chopped salad (skip the chickpeas), Israeli Couscous Salad, Pico de Gallo (I know it’s Mexican but the flavours are terrific paired with Middle Eastern), just the rice in this baked Chicken & Rice recipe, Chargrilled Vegetables, Lemon Pilaf (fab pairing!), Curried Basmati Rice Pilaf, this Chickpea Rice Pilaf, Fattoush. Because the meatballs are heavily spiced, opt for sides with fresh flavours.
Nutrition assuming this serves 5 people, including 1 pita pocket per person and 1 1/2 tablespoons of lamb fat is discarded after cooking.
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