Lamb Meatballs with Quinoa Salad

Although good lamb is available the whole year around, spring lamb is very tasty. We all love good lamb chops or a rack of lamb, but I reserve this for an occasion or a Sunday lunch as these are the most expensive cuts of lamb.

Lamb meatballs are a perennial favourite too, and I often make them Middle Eastern style grilled and served with pita bread and other accompaniments, which can be a bit much for a quick weekday night dinner. There are some delicious recipes by Ottolenghi as well as Honey & Co. for lamb meatballs, which are excellent for grilling.

This recipe is inspired by one from River Cottage’s Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. It’s essentially one dish, lamb meatballs served atop a hearty salad. The best part of the dish is that the lamb meatballs cook in the oven, leaving you free to put the salad together in the meanwhile. The quinoa can be cooked anytime earlier, as it needs to be room temperature for the salad.

A word about the ingredients:

Pomegranate molasses

It’s intriguing to see the same ingredients pop up across India and the Middle East in different forms. Dried pomegranate powder (called “anardana” in India) is used to add tang to many north Indian dishes. In the Middle East, all the way from Iran to North Africa, it’s used widely as molasses, which is essentially thickened pomegranate syrup, reminiscent of aged balsamico. Having tried both the local Waitrose brand and one from my local North African store, I find the latter thicker, punchier and fresher. Use any you can get your hands on. I strongly recommend stocking a bottle. It has a long shelf life, doesn’t need refrigeration, and is excellent for any salads accompanying a Middle Eastern inspired meal.

Quinoa or bulgur

The original recipe had bulgur wheat, but I swapped out the bulgur for quinoa, only because I always stock quinoa at home. By all means, feel free to use bulgur, giant couscous or even whole grain barley, whatever you have handy.

Sumac

This is a tangy dried berry powder which is excellent for sprinkling on hummus, adding to lamb & chicken marinades, and is essential for salads like the Middle Eastern fattoush. Don’t buy it just for his recipe. Replace with an additional squeeze of lemon.

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Lamb Meatballs with Quinoa Salad
The recipe is basically spiced lamb meatballs, served with a salad of leaves and quinoa. You can ring changes by adding other vegetables to the salad like sliced peppers or red radish, fresh pomegranate seeds, cucumber, etc.
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Prep Time 20 min
Cook Time 20 min
Servings
generously
Ingredients
For the meatballs
For the salad
For the dressing
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Prep Time 20 min
Cook Time 20 min
Servings
generously
Ingredients
For the meatballs
For the salad
For the dressing
Instructions
  1. Cook the quinoa as per the packet instructions. Else simply cook in with 1 cup of water in a pan. Once it comes to a boil, turn down, cover and cook about 15 minutes. Fluff and leave to cool.
  2. Preheat the oven to 230C (210C fan) and line a baking tray with a baking sheet or aluminium foil (lightly oil).
  3. In a small frying pan over a medium heat, toast the sesame seeds until they just begin to pop and become fragrant. Tip into a large bowl and set aside.
  4. Warm the oil in the frying pan over a medium-low heat and sweat the onion until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and coriander, and sauté for a couple of minutes more.
  5. Transfer the cooked mixture into the bowl containing the sesame seeds bowl and add in the fresh mint, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the lamb and breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and the pomegranate molasses and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until well combined.
  6. Roll the mixture into balls about the size of walnuts – you should have about 18-20 balls. Place on the baking sheet as you go, making sure they're not crowded together, then bake for about 10 minutes, until golden and just cooked through.
  7. While the meatballs are cooking, make the salad. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing and toss about half of it with the cooked quinoa. Mix together the leaves, cherry tomato, spring onions and herbs. Transfer to a serving platter.
  8. When the meatballs are ready, they should be a nice golden brown colour. Take out of the oven and place gently on the prepared salad.
  9. Drizzle over a little more pomegranate molasses, sprinkle on the walnuts and serve.
  10. The plate after dinner!
Recipe Notes

Leftovers make a great sandwich filling. Add a little tahini, yoghurt or mayo and fill into pita or a any sandwich bread you like.  It's truly delicious even eaten at room temperature.

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