Syrian Lamb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS
500 Gr. Ground lamb
1 Egg sightly beaten
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
1 Large red onion roughly chopped
2 Garlic cloves finely minced (optional)
2 Teaspoon Middle Eastern Spice Mix
Salt & Pepper to taste
Large bunch of flat finely chopped parsley
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

For the Sauce :
1 Large Onion roughly chopped
1 Can of Chopped Tomato
1 Cup of Water
Salt & Pepper to Taste

METHOD
In a large bowl, mix the ground lamb, chopped onion, egg, parsley, breadcrumbs and spices thoroughly and form balls the size of a golf ball.
In a cast iron or your pressure cooker, instant pot pan, saute the meatballs in olive oil, until browned on all sides.
Remove the meatballs and set aside.

Oven version
In the same pot, saute an onion until translucent. Add a can of tomatoes and water – Add another teaspoon of the 7 spice mixture and return the meatballs in the pan and place in pre-heated oven at 180 Celsius for 45 minutes.

Pressure Cooker version
I use a traditional pressure cooker. The method is essentially the same. Simply saute the lamb meatballs in a little bit of olive oil, until browned on all sides. Pour the tomato sauce, water and spices in the pot and cook at low heat, for 12 minutes. If the meat was frozen, cook for 18 minutes.
Serve with Basmati Rice. Sprinkle the meatballs with the zest of a lemon.

7 Spice Mix Recipe
2 Tablespoons ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons paprika
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
1 Tablespoon ground cloves
1 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
¹⁄₂ Teaspoon ground cardamom

Other Spice Variation
2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Paprika
2 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes

TIP DU JOUR : When serving, sprinkle the dish with chopped parsley & grate a lemon over each plate. This makes the dish from good to great.