Lamb Meatballs & Pilaf

This is hands down one of my favourite ways to cook rice, its so simple and pretty much foolproof. Add to that some wonderfully juicy lamb balls and you are onto a winner (you could also use beef or chicken mince). Ras el hanout is a fragrant North African spice blend combining warm, aromatic spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and ginger - perfect for adding great flavour to your meals and ideal with lamb. Adding the mint sauce to the meatballs is a game changer - try it and see! This is a regular dish on rotation at home - I hope you love it as much as I do.

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Ingredients

onion 2 (diced)
garlic cloves 4 (sliced)
ras el hanout 3 tbsp
basmati rice 240 g
chicken stock cube 1
lamb mince 400 g
mint sauce 2 tbsp
Greek yoghurt 6 tbsp
fresh mint 1 handful (leaves picked)

Method

Cook the pilaf

Preheat the oven to 180C.
Dice the onion. Thinly slice the garlic cloves.
Fry the onion in a pan with a little oil over a medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes.
Add half the ras el hanout and basmati rice, giving it a good mix.
Make up the chicken stock cube with 150ml boiling water per person (300ml for serves 2, 600ml for serves 4). You can use any type of stock that you like - vegetable and beef would also work well.
Pour the stock in to cover the basmati rice, pop on a lid or cover with tin foil, then bake in the oven for around 20-25 minutes.

Make the lamb meatballs

Meanwhile, make the meatballs. Mix the lamb mince with the mint sauce, the rest of the ras el hanout and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. I always like to fry a little off to test the seasoning, plus it's a great little snack.
Shape into 4 meatballs per person, then fry in a frying pan for 8 - 10 minutes until browned all over.

Plate Up

Fluff up the rice with a fork. Pick the mint leaves then scatter over the rice. Plate up with the lamb meatballs and Greek yoghurt. I love to add some chilli flakes. Enjoy!

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