These lamb meatballs are cooked in a spicy eggplant tomato sauce. I love lamb, and once in a while, I enjoy it in small, spherical portions.
Ingredients
- eggplant: 1 piece (cubed)
- olive oil: 2 Tbsp
- salt and freshly ground black pepper: (to taste)
- finely minced onion: 0.33333 cup
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes: 1 piece (to taste)
- ½ cups chicken broth: 1 piece
- marinara sauce: 1 cup
- plain dry bread crumbs: 0.25 cup
- egg: 1 piece
- ½ tablespoons Greek yogurt: 1 piece
- finely minced onion: 0.25 cup
- garlic, finely: 4 clove (minced)
- ½ teaspoons kosher salt: 1 piece
- black pepper: 1 tsp (freshly ground)
- ground cumin: 1 tsp
- ground cinnamon: 0.5 tsp
- ground coriander: 0.25 tsp
- ground lamb: 1 pound
- cayenne pepper: 0.25 tsp (to taste)
- fresh mint: 1 Tbsp (chopped)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
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Combine eggplant, olive oil, salt, and black pepper in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until eggplant begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
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Mix in 1/3 cup onion and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in broth and marinara sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce mixture has reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
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Meanwhile, whisk together bread crumbs, egg, and Greek yogurt in a large bowl until bread crumbs absorb all the liquid, about 3 minutes. Mix in 1/4 cup onion, garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and coriander until well combined. Crumble in lamb and sprinkle with cayenne pepper; mix well.
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Form lamb mixture into small meatballs and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
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Bake in the preheated oven until browned but still pink inside, about 10 minutes.
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Remove meatballs from the oven and stir into simmering sauce. Simmer over low heat until sauce begins to thicken and meatballs are cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 160 degrees F (72 degrees C).
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Garnish meatballs and sauce with mint to serve.
