Moroccan meatballs with chickpeas and couscous
Moroccan meatballs with chickpeas combine spicy balls (kefta) with aromatic vegetables and couscous from North Africa.
Ingredients
For the kefta (meatballs)
- 400 grams minced lamb or beef
- 2 eggs
- 1 onion
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- pepper to taste
- salt to taste
For the vegetable stew
- 5 tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 400 grams chickpeas 1 can
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 tablespoon Harissa powder
- 1 cube saffron stock or 6 threads of saffron
- 1 dl lukewarm water
- 1 zucchini
- 1 yellow bell pepper
For the Couscous
- 250 grams couscous
- 300 ml water check the cooking instructions on the packaging
Instructions
Making the kefta
- Chop the onion finely.
- Mix the minced meat, eggs, chopped onion, paprika powder and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Roll into meatballs and put aside. If necessary, put in the fridge to stiffen.
Preparing the vegetables
- Heat the water for the vegetable stew until it is lukewarm. Soak the stock cube or saffron threads in it.
- Peel the carrots and remove the ends. Quarter them lengthwise, then cut them into small pieces.
- Wash the celery stalks and cut them lengthwise. Then cut them into small pieces as well.
- Remove the skin from the onion and cut it into small pieces.
- Halve the tomatoes and remove the green attachment from the stem. Then cut them into small pieces.
- Remove the ends from the zucchini. Then cut it into small pieces as well.
- Remove the top and bottom of the yellow bell pepper. That way we can easily remove the seeds. Also remove the stalk. Then cut the yellow pepper into small pieces.
- Open the can of chickpeas and let them drain well.
Making the Moroccan meatballs with chickpeas and couscous
- Heat some oil in a pan and then fry the meatballs in it until they are nicely browned on all sides.
- In the meantime, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pot and sweat the onion in it.
- Then add the water with the saffron.
- Next add most of the vegetables to the stew: the carrots, celery and tomatoes.
- Add the Harissa, pepper and salt. Let this simmer for about ten minutes.
- In the meantime, you can also steam the zucchini and the pepper. This will optimally preserve the flavour. If you don't have a steamer, you can also add them to the stew.
- Bring water to the boil for the couscous. Then add the couscous and let it swell without adding any more heat.
- Finally, add the chickpeas and the meatballs to the stew. Let them heat through for five minutes.
- Then serve the couscous with the stewed vegetables and the meatballs. Finish with the steamed vegetables: zucchini and bell pepper.
Nutrition
Serving: 1personCalories: 791kcalCarbohydrates: 99gProtein: 41gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 255mgPotassium: 1520mgFiber: 16gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 7043IUVitamin C: 93mgCalcium: 166mgIron: 7mg
