Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Fiery Eggplant-Tomato Sauce

Name: Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Fiery Eggplant-Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Greek, Lebanese, Turkish
Ingredients: 1 tsp Black Pepper; 0.25 cup Bread Crumbs; 1 dash Cayenne Pepper; 1.5 cups Chicken Broth; 0.33 cup Diced Yellow Onion; 1 whole Eggplant; 1 whole Eggs; 1 tbsp Fresh Mint; 4 whole Garlic; 0.5 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 0.25 tsp Ground Coriander; 1 tsp Ground Cumin; 1 lb Ground Lamb; 1 cup Marinara Sauce; 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 1.5 tbsp Plain Greek Yogurt; 1 dash Red Pepper Flakes; 1 dash Salt & Pepper; 1.5 tsp Sea Salt

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 Greek 🇬🇷Lebanese 🇱🇧Turkish 🇹🇷 High-Protein 💪Comfort-Food

Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Fiery Eggplant-Tomato Sauce brings juicy lamb spheres scented with cumin, cinnamon, and coriander together with a robust eggplant and tomato base warmed by chile heat. The sauce turns silky as the eggplant softens, wrapping each meatball in rich, aromatic flavor that pairs well with rice, couscous, or flatbread. Serve for a cozy weeknight dinner or an impressive weekend spread.

Prep25 mins
Cook1 hr 30 mins
Serves4
DifficultyMedium

1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine the eggplant, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the eggplant starts to soften, about 5 minutes.
3

Stir in 1/3 cup onion and red pepper flakes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add the broth and marinara sauce, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the sauce mixture has reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
4

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the bread crumbs, egg, and Greek yogurt until the bread crumbs soak up all the liquid, about 3 minutes. Mix in 1/4 cup onion, garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and coriander until evenly combined. Crumble in the lamb and sprinkle with cayenne pepper; mix well.
5

Shape the lamb mixture into small meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
6

Bake in the preheated oven until browned but still pink inside, about 10 minutes.
7

Remove the meatballs from the oven and stir them into the simmering sauce. Simmer over low heat until the sauce starts to thicken and the meatballs are cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should register 160 degrees F (72 degrees C).
8

Garnish the meatballs and sauce with mint to serve.