I’ve been making these moroccan meatballs at least once a month for well over a year now, and I’ve finally hunkered down and written it up all formal-like to share with you, here. Sometimes when I make something a lot just for regular eating, the idea of making it for the blog is a little less exciting since it doesn’t have that sparkly “oh-a-new-recipe!” shine to it, and my mind tends to want to make and shoot things that I don’t look at on the regular. Call it creative stubbornness, but that’s how the left side of my brain works.
My right side, however, understands that often times the things you make and eat the most are the best (hence why you make and eat them all the time). These moroccan meatballs are made with local pork, a delicious array of spices, some chopped onion, a hefty dose of chopped dates, and an egg for moisture. If you ever have dry meatballs, it’s because they need an egg and a bit of oil in them. These two ingredients are a must! The meatballs are very easy to make, just toss everything together and roast them in the oven on a sheet pan. I always serve them alongside a yogurt dipping sauce and roasted broccolini, which is equally as easy to make. Just stir together yogurt, lemon juice, and salt, and voila! And just toss the broccolini with some oil, salt, and pepper, throw it on a pan in the oven, and there you have it!
As for the seasonings, there’s quite a few exotic spices and mixtures here, but I promise that you can find all of them at your local organic market. The only two that *may* be trickier are garam masala, which is an Indian spice blend, and za’atar, which is one of those things that multiple countries claim to be the original source of, but most agree than it originally came from Lebanon. If you can’t find them, you can omit them and the meatballs will once be a tad bit lesser for it. But if you can find them, I highly recommend playing around with adding them to savory dishes in your day-to-day cooking. Their flavor is so intense and wonderful, it’s hard to find anything savory that they don’t make taste better.
The ingredients in this dish aren’t exclusively Moroccan, but they’re inspired by the flavors of the region in general, (especially the bit with the chopped up dates). Morocco is a predominantly Muslim country, and this recipe calls for pork, but I’ve also made it with lamb and it tastes just as delicious. So whatever your dietary restriction, feel free to sub in a different protein as-needed! The important thing here is to use quality spices, as they’re what gives these meatballs that extra depth and incredible flavor. Enjoy it, my friends!
Moroccan Meatballs with Lemon Yogurt Dip and Roasted Broccolini
These meatballs are both savory and sweet, with rich delicious pork and chopped dates combining with a flurry of exotic and flavorful middle eastern spices. When you pair them with some roasted lemony broccolini and a tart and tangy yogurt dipping sauce, you have the perfect dinner in just about 30 minutes.
Moroccan Meatballs
- 3 teaspoons yellow curry powder
- 2 teaspoons flake kosher sea salt
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garam masala seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
- 1 teaspoon red curry powder
- 1 tablespoon za'atar seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried aleppo pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried ground ginger
- 2 pounds ground pork
- 10 ounces dates (chopped into roughly 1/2-inch cubes, with pits removed)
- 1/2 of a large yellow onion (diced)
- 2 eggs (whisked)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Roasted Lemon Broccolini
- 10 ounces broccolini
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin polive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Lemon Yogurt Dip
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
Moroccan Meatballs
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, mix together the curry powder, salt, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, red curry powder, za’atar seasoning, aleppo pepper, cumin, and ginger and set aside.
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In a large bowl mix together the pork, chopped dates, onion, eggs, and olive oil until combined. Add the spice mixture in 3 increments, mixing well before each addition.
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Form the mixture into 12 balls (about 4.5 to 5 ounces each), and pat each one gently so that it is slightly wider than it is tall. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about 1-inch of space between each one. Bake in the oven until the juices run clear and the interior temp of the biggest meatball is 145 degrees Fahrenheit, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Roasted Lemon Broccolini
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Meanwhile, cut the bottom 1-inch off the broccolini and compost it. Toss the broccolini in a large bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper until coated.
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Spread them out on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 400 degrees until wrinkled slightly and the very tips are a bit crispy, about 10 minutes (they can roast in the oven with the meatballs on another rack in your oven).
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Remove them from the oven, and drizzle with the lemon juice before serving.
Lemon Yogurt Dip
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In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, and salt until combined. Serve with the meatballs and the roasted broccolini.
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