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Moroccan Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

This recipe makes 35 walnuts-sized meatballs. They can be prepared right away, or you can refrigerate them overnight. They also freeze very well. Put them into the freezer for a couple of hours, together with the plate. Once frozen, transfer the meatballs into freezer bags. They can be stored for up to three months. When you want to cook them, remove the meatballs from the freezer bag and arrange them onto a plate so that they are not touching each other. Leave them in the refrigerator overnight to thaw and proceed according to the recipe. I like to serve them sprinkled with fresh mint and cilantro and slivered almonds. They go well with couscous or bulghur wheat.

Moroccan Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Category: Meat
Cuisine: Arab

Recipe in PDF format (print friendly)

  • Serves 4
  • Prep time: 25min
  • Cook time: 45min
  • Total time: 1h 10min
  • Difficulty: Intermediate

For the meatballs:

Ingredients

  • 450g minced beef
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 cm ginger root, peeled and grated
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a bowl, mix meat, onion, and garlic. Add salt, ginger, and spices, and mix with your hands until well incorporated. Form the mixture into little meatballs, about the size of walnuts. Put the meatballs onto a large plate lined with aluminum foil.

For the tomato sauce:

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • pinch of dried chili flakes
  • 1 purple onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 cm ginger root, peeled and grated
  • 800g plum tomatoes, (tinned)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 200ml water
  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  • some salt and pepper
  • some fresh mint and cilantro, to serve
  • 30g slivered almonds, to serve

Directions

Roughly crush the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar. Add chili flakes and set them aside. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and fry the meatballs until golden brown on all sides. If necessary, fry them in batches, so you don't overcrowd the pan. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the crushed spices to the same pan and fry for two minutes, then add onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook until the onion becomes translucent. Add tomato paste and tinned tomatoes, water, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Then return meatballs to the pan and cook for another 20 minutes until the sauce is thickened.