One of the recipes I made for a recent party was an Arabian dish – Kofta, or Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Cherry Sauce. It’s from a cookbook called “Modern Flavors of Arabia” by Suzanne Husseini, one of most popular cooking show personalities in the Middle East. The sweet and sour cherry sauce complemented the rich lamb meatballs (though of course you could use ground pork/beef/chicken/turkey instead).
I rehydrated dried cherries in honey and lemon (also – ahem, I may or may not have added a little splash of Brandy). The sauce simmers quietly while the meatballs cook in the oven or on the stove.
It’s a fabulous party food – skewer each meatball with a cute pick.
Kofta Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Cherry Sauce Recipe Video
Kofta Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Cherry Sauce
Ingredients
For the Cherry Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped (or 2 tablespoons diced red onion)
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 3 teaspoons honey
- 1 splash of Brandy (optional)
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1/4 cup sparkling water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
To make the Cherry Sauce:
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and shallot and saute until tender. Add the cherries, honey, lemon juice, water and cinnamon and bring mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the mint.
To make the Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the ground lamb, sparkling water, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, salt and pepper. Mix lightly to incorporate all ingredients. Form mixture into small meatballs.
- In a large frying pan over medium high, add olive oil. Add meatballs and fry, turning often to brown all over, about 5-7 minutes. You might have to cook meatballs in batches if your pan is too small. After browning all the meatballs, place meatballs on a baking sheet and bake in oven for 10 minutes to cook through. Drizzle with the cherry sauce just before serving.
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