Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground turkey
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped or grated
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup fresh matzah meal (or breadcrumbs)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt, or to taste
- 2–3 Tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
- 1 (28 oz) can Italian style tomatoes, undrained
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup beef stock
Instructions
- Start by making the meatballs: Combine the beef and turkey in a large bowl. Add the onion, egg, matzah meal, parsley, cilantro, ginger, cumin, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to taste and mix gently to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Shape the mixture into balls about 1- ½ inches in diameter.
- Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Cook the meatballs a few at a time, turning them to brown all the surfaces, for 4-5 minutes or until lightly browned. If the pan seems dry and the meatballs stick, add the extra Tbsp olive oil. When all the meatballs are cooked, set them aside.
- To make the sauce, chop the canned tomatoes into small pieces.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, raisins, parsley, cilantro, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper and stock. Stir the ingredients, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the meatballs, cover the pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Notes
- If you want to make this recipe in advance, you can freeze the meatballs, either uncooked or fried. Or freeze the fully cooked recipe (place the meatballs and sauce in a casserole so you can thaw and reheat easily).
- You can substitute 1 1/2 tsp ras el hanout for the dry spices in both the meatballs and the sauce.
- Although there are kosher-for-Passover certified brands of ground cumin available, some people do not eat this spice during Passover. You can leave it out of the recipe, which will taste quite different, milder, but still very tasty.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One-pot
- Cuisine: Sephardi