Halloumi-stuffed kofta meatballs with tomato sauce

Every culture has its own form of meatballs, which are typically soft, juicy, and delicious. Here is a Middle Eastern variation that I adore.

Meatballs are a chef's way to extend meat, some good meat pieces mixed in with fatty and other tougher cuts to make them palatable. They reduced the cost of the product and increased the quantity. Meatballs were traditionally considered poor man's food because of this reason, but today, they are universally loved.

This is a visually stunning recipe; the soft meatballs nestled in tomato sauce are truly enticing. The melted Halloumi oozes from the meatballs as you cut through them. The spices are mild and soul-warming. The tart tomato sauce is the perfect complement, cutting through the fat of the meatballs. This is a dish that can be served as a canapé, an appetiser, as I have or a main course with a pilaf or salad.

This is a relatively new cookbook in my library. It is filled with contemporary Arab recipes, each one a delight, like this one. Each recipe has an introduction that pr, precedes it, explaining the origins of the dish and its history, something I enjoy about reading and cuisine, I have so much to learn about. It's a wonderful cookbook, one you'll see me cook from again.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground mutton or beef with 20% fat

1 slice of white bread

1 small onion, quartered

1 small tomato, quartered

1 small green chilli

2-3 cloves garlic

4 tablespoons parsley, minced

3 tablespoons cilantro, minced

1 egg, lightly beaten

Salt, to taste

1 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon nine-spice mix; see recipe below

1 teaspoon ground cumin

4 tablespoons pine nuts + 15, lightly toasted

15 oz. Halloumi cheese, cubed

For the 9-spice mix:

Makes 1 cup

6 tablespoons allspice berries

6 1/2-inch pieces of cinnamon sticks

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

10 green cardamom pods

10 cloves

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 blades of mace

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For the tomato sauce:

10 oz. crushed tomatoes or passata

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt, to taste

1 cup water

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

1 tablespoon butter

Cilantro or parsley for garnish

For the spice mix, dry roast the allspice, cinnamon, coriander, peppercorns, cardamom, cloves, and cumin until aromatic and toasted. Cool and mix all the remaining ingredients, then blitz them in a spice mill until you have a fine powder. Set aside in an air-tight jar.

Grate half of the Halloumi cheese. Cube the other half. Set aside.

Add the bread, onion, tomato, green chilli, and garlic to a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste.

Mix the paste into the meat with the parsley, cilantro, salt, pepper, spice mix and grated cheese. Mix well to incorporate the meat evenly with the ingredients. Make a tablespoon-sized ball and fry it in a frying pan. Taste for salt, spice and flavour, and adjust the meat mix accordingly.

Take 1 1/2 tablespoons of the meat mix and flatten it. Add a cube of cheese to the centre and wrap it in meat, with the cheese at the centre. Make small meatballs about the size of a ping-pong ball. Press a pine nut into the top of each meatball.

Lay them on a lined baking sheet.

To make the tomato sauce, combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic salt, and water, then cook for 45 minutes. Stir the pot frequently to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the bottom and burning. If the water reduces, add as much as needed for a thick sauce.

Add the butter and pomegranate molasses, and cook for 5 minutes to create a thick, tangy sauce.

Heat the oven to 500° F.

Bake the meatballs for 10-15 minutes, or until they are well-browned. Alternatively, you can shallow fry them on the stove.

Heat the sauce and ladle it onto a plate. Arrange the cooked meatballs on top and garnish with parsley or cilantro, as desired.