Kefta
500 grams of ground chicken or beef
1 small onion, chopped very fine
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh coriander
Mix all the kefta ingredients together and form into approximately ¾ to 1 inch balls (wet your hands with water first to make forming the balls less messy). Heat olive oil in a large stove-top casserole dish or dutch oven. Brown the meatballs evenly and set aside. It is best not to crowd the pan, even if you need to brown the balls in batches.
Tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper
1 kg fresh, ripe tomatoes, chopped or 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 ½ tsp paprika
1 ½ tsp cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ tsp salt
Add garlic, onion and green pepper to the pan in which the meatballs were cooked. Saute until onion is clear. Add all the remaining ingredients for the sauce and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes or until sauce thickens.
Return meatballs to the sauce and simmer covered for about 10-15 minutes or until the meatballs are thoroughly cooked.
Serve immediately with rice, couscous and/or crusty bread.