Kefta Meatballs in Spiced Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• •1 lb (450 g) ground beef (or half beef, half ground lamb)
• •1 large yellow onion, finely grated (divided)
• •4 garlic cloves, minced (divided)
• •1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• •1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• •1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• •1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• •1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• •1/2 tsp ground coriander
• •1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• •1 tsp total salt and black pepper
• •2 tbsp olive oil
• •1 can (796 mL) canned crushed tomatoes
• •1 tbsp tomato paste
• •1 tsp sugar
• •4 large eggs (optional)
• •for garnish fresh cilantro

Directions

1. 1Combine ground meat with half the grated onion, half the garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne, salt, and pepper; mix well and roll into small 1-inch meatballs.
2. 2Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat; brown meatballs in batches on all sides, about 4 minutes total, then remove and set aside.
3. 3Add remaining onion to the skillet and cook 3 minutes until softened, then add remaining garlic and cook 1 minute.
4. 4Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar; season with salt and bring to a simmer.
5. 5Return meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook on medium-low for 15 minutes until cooked through and sauce has thickened.
6. 6If adding eggs, make 4 wells in the sauce, crack an egg into each, cover, and cook 4–5 minutes until whites are just set.
7. 7Garnish with cilantro and serve straight from the pan with crusty bread or couscous.

💡 A mix of half ground beef and half ground lamb is most traditional and widely available at Canadian butcher counters; all beef works perfectly fine. The sauce freezes well without the eggs — add eggs fresh when reheating.

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