Meatballs with Aubergine and Lime Yoghurt

Meatballs with Aubergine and Lime Yoghurt

Meatballs with Aubergine and Lime Yoghurt

There's actually no need to fry meatballs on the stove. This clever and flavourful recipe shows you how to let your oven do the hard work for you...

For the lime yoghurt

Ingredients
360 g natural yoghurt
1 unwaxed lime, zest grated, and 1 teaspoon juice
1 handful finely chopped mint leaves
1 pinch(es) salt

For the meatballs

Ingredients
800 g minced beef and pork
1 can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
1 large handful dried breadcrumbs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 handful garlic, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoon(s) freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon(s) cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

For the aubergines

Ingredients
500 g aubergines, cut into 1cm thick slices
2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
3/4 tablespoon(s) salt
pinch(es) freshly ground black pepper
100 g red currants

Preparation:

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  • For the lime yoghurt, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate.
  • For the meatballs, put the meat in a bowl. Use a fork to mash half of the chickpeas (set the rest aside) and add to the bowl with the remaining ingredients. Mix well with your hands. 
  • With wet hands, divide the meatball mixture into 8 equal portions, shape into balls and coat in the breadcrumbs. Place the meatballs on one half of the lined backing tray.
  • For the aubgergines, use the tip of a sharp knife to score the cut surfaces of the aubergines several times and place them on the baking tray next to the meatballs.
  • Drizzle the meatballs and aubergine slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the remaining the chickpeas over the top.
  • Roast in the over for 40–50 minutes until the aubergines are tender and the meat is cooked through (test with a knife to make sure).
  • Turn the aubergines once during the cooking time so they cook evenly.
  • When everything is cooked to your liking, arrange the aubergines, meatballs and chickpeas on a serving plate, top with the red currants and serve with the lime yoghurt on the side. 

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