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Spiced Lamb meatballs in roasted butternut squash sauce

When you invite friends or family over for a meal, cooking can be stressful. I avoid the stress by making dishes that I  be prepare or even cook in advance, so when they arrive I only need to reheat or finish off my creation. These spiced lamb meatballs in squash sauce is one of these dishes -  very tasty, a bit time-consuming to make but most of the work can be done hours ore the day before. It’s very suitable for dinner parties or larger get-togethers (you’ll need to make more meatballs - the sauce would be enough for approx. 12 people). Serve it with flatbread, couscous or rice.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • Ingredients
  • For the squash:
  • 1 small butternut squash
  • 2 onions
  • 1 bulb of garlic
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 2 Tbsp Olive oil
  • For the meatballs:
  • 250 g of minced lamb
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
  • 1 egg or 1 Tbsp corn flour
  • Salt &pepper to taste
  • For the sauce:
  • 1 tin of plum tomatoes
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp harissa paste optional
  • 500 ml lamb or beef stock
  • 1 small bunch fresh coriander or parsley
  • Juice of ½ lemon

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Cut the squash into slices and put them in a baking tin.
  3. Cut the onions into 4 wedges (with the skin on) then tuck them between the squash. Add the garlic cloves (with skin on). Scatter some oregano and chilli flakes on top, then season with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until all veggies are soft. Let them cool.
  4. Remove the skin and put the flesh of the squash, garlic and onion into a saucepan together with the cooking jus. Add the tinned tomatoes, spices and stock. Cook for 15 minutes then turn off the heat. Add the fresh coriander/parsley and some lemon juice. Pulse with a stick blender until you get a smooth, silky sauce. Set aside.
  5. Mix all ingredients for the meatballs together and set aside until you’re ready to serve.
  6. Form small balls from the mince mixture and put them onto a baking sheet. Bake them for about 15 minutes until golden (alternatively deep-fry them for 2-5 minutes). Transfer them to a plate, lined with kitchen paper.
  7. Pour the sauce in a large, shallow casserole dish, add the meatballs and heat the them through.
  8. Serve with pasta, couscous, rice or flat bread.