This recipe was born last night after I got home so late that I had only 30 minutes left for cooking. Tom challenged me to be as quick as a take out 🙂 The spices and sauce resemble tajine, but the meatballs are so quick to make that you don`t have to cook it for hours.

INGREDIENTS:

For the meat balls:

• 500 g beef mince
• 1/4 of an onion, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• oil for frying

For the tomato and chickpeas sauce:

• 500 g chopped tomatoes (from a can)
• 1 can chickpeas (strain the water)
• the rest of the onion, chopped
• handful fresh coriander
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup water

For the couscous:

• 1 cup couscous
• small garlic clove, chopped
• small handful coriander, chopped
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

1. Start by mixing all the ingredients for the meat balls. Form small balls and fry until brown. Set aside
2. In a small pan, cook the tomato sauce ingredients until it thickens
3. Prepare the couscous as per the package instructions and season with the rest of the ingredients
4. When the tomato and chickpeas sauce is ready, add the meatballs and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Serve the dish by plating the tajine meatballs with good amount of sauce and couscous.