Ingredients
For the fish balls:
- 350g white fish, finely diced (I prefer cod or red snapper)
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 green chili, finely diced
- 1 egg
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- a handful of chopped cilantro
- a handful of chopped parsley
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp sumac (optional)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp bread crumbs
- a pinch of baking powder
For the sauce:
- 2 large red peppers, sliced into 10 strips
- 1 green chili, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
- 4 fresh, large tomatoes, finely diced
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp sugar
- salt
- black pepper
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 lemon, deseeded and chopped into tiny cubes
- olive oil
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the fish balls until combined. Make golf-ball sized balls and lay them on a tray. You should have about 25.
- In a saucepan, pour a drizzle of olive oil and fry the fish balls very lightly on a medium heat on both sides — just so they can get a little bit of color (they don’t need to be fully cooked). Set aside.
- In the same saucepan, add another 2 Tbsp of olive oil, the red pepper slices, and the chopped green chili. Fry until they get a nice color, then add the garlic and lemon, and fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, and the rest of the spices, plus salt and pepper to your taste. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, mix well, and let it cook until it becomes very thick. Then add the water and let the sauce come to a boil.
- Add the fish balls and cook on a low heat for about 15-20 min.
- Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle with cilantro. You can serve it with white rice or couscous, but I love it with simply a thick slice of fresh challah bread and a generous drizzle of tahini.
Notes
Don’t use a food processor to chop the fish. It won’t have the same bite or texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan