Turkish baharat meatballs with lentil pilaf Recipe
Flavorful, tasty Turkish meatballs with aromatic lentil pilaf.
Ingredients
- Sauce:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 red capsicum, chopped
- Olive oil
- 2 large mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 1 small courgette, coarsely chopped
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- Pinch of salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, cracked
- ½ tsp cumin
- Meatballs:
- 400g beef mince
- 1 rasher bacon, rind removed, very finely chopped
- 1 heaped tsp baharat spice mix*
- 1 egg
- ½ cup of flour
- ½ tsp salt
- Lentil pilaf:
- 3 cups water
- 1 ½ cups basmati rice
- ½ cup lentils
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1 tsp salt
- Turkish baharat spice mix:
- 2 tbs ground black pepper
- 2 tbs ground cumin
- 1 tbs ground coriander
- 1 tbs chopped dried mint leaves
- 1 tbs garlic (granules)
- 1 tsp nutmeg, grated
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
Directions
- Place onion, capsicum and garlic in a medium-large saucepan with some olive oil to saute for 2 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and courgette, stir. Add tomatoes and spices, cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile combine all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix until smooth.
- Using a tablespoon, scoop out a measure of meat and roll into a ball with your hands. Repeat until you've used all the meat.
- Place the meatballs in the saucepan, then cover and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes. Just before you're ready to serve, uncover the saucepan and increase the heat to reduce the sauce to the desired thickness.
- For the lentil pilaf bring the water to boil, then add the remaining ingredients, stir, cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook for at least 20 minutes before lifting the lid to check consistency. When done, all the liquid should have been absorbed by the rice/lentils, which should be soft.
- Serve the meatballs and the sauce on a bed of the lentil rice with a big dollop of yoghurt.
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Nutrition Facts
| Amount Per Serving | %DV |
|---|---|
| Serving Size 342g | |
| Recipe makes 6 servings | |
| Calories 459 | |
| Calories from Fat 116 | 25% |
| Total Fat 12.99g | 16% |
| Saturated Fat 5.18g | 21% |
| Trans Fat 0.0g | |
| Cholesterol 70mg | 23% |
| Sodium 714mg | 30% |
| Potassium 669mg | 19% |
| Total Carbs 62.98g | 17% |
| Dietary Fiber 8.2g | 27% |
| Sugars 2.78g | 2% |
| Protein 22.4g | 36% |
