Spicy Meatballs and Chickpeas

A great dish to enjoy with your loved one on chilly night – with the added bonus of having some leftovers the next day. The chickpeas provide plenty of fibre, just be sure to use lean beef mince to keep those saturated fats down. (If you do not like spicy food – omit the cayenne pepper.)

Ingredients

• 500g lean beef mince
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• salt
• 2 TB olive oil
• 1 tin chickpeas, drained
• pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup beef stock
• pinch ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground coriander
• freshly ground black pepper
• chopped coriander, to garnish

Method

1. Tip the mince into a bowl. Add the ground cinnamon and ground cumin and season the mixture with salt. Combine well and form into small meatballs, approximately 35g each. (You should yield between 13-15 meatballs.) Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan (its best to work in two batches so as not to over-crowd the pan) and brown the meatballs until golden and caramelised on the outside. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add the drained chickpeas and cayenne pepper to the same pan, along with the chopped tomatoes and beef stock. Add the additional pinch ground cinnamon and the ground coriander. Cook over high heat until the mixture thickens and reduces, approximately 10-12 minutes.
4. Return the meatballs to the mixture and allow the hot mixture to gently cook the meatballs through, approximately 5 minutes. (Test one meatball by slicing it in half – it shouldn’t be pink in the centre.)
5. Crack over a generous amount of black pepper and serve garnished with chopped coriander.