Lamb Meatballs with Cilantro Raita

Whether you invite guests to a dinner party or go to a restaurant, appetizers are very important. I consider them as first impression and usually dictate how the rest of the meal will go. By experience, if you start off with a great appetizer, its taste will always be remembered, even if the main course is mediocre. On the other hand, a disappointing appetizer leads to high expectations and importance on the main course. If the main course is a let down, the meal becomes a total disappointment overall. Be sure to serve your guests with tasty appetizers.

A month ago, I made some new friends at rock climbing and invited them at my usual Sunday cooking session after a long and tiring day of climbing. Since this is their first invitation, I'm making sure that the food is the best thing that they ever tasted (and hoping that they lend their place for the following cooking sessions). I went for an appetizer that everyone is familiar with: meatballs. They are not complicated to make once you know how. Tender and flavor-packed, everyone can't resist of eating more than one. Simply add some spices and eggs to your ground meat. Grill, pan fry or broil the meatballs and finally, serve it with a dipping sauce.

Here the meatballs are packed with Middle East flavors, inspired on spices and herbs used for lamb kofta. These meatballs are dipped in a refreshing raita dip sauce, a yoghurt based condiment commonly used in India and Middle East, similar to the Greek tzatziki sauce.

Makes about 24 meatballs
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast: Small Plates

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Cooking Time: 10 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 small onion, minced

1 lb ground lamb

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup parsley, minced

2 tbsp bread crumbs

1 tsp ground cumin

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

Raita Sauce

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

1 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onions until transparent, about 5 mins.

2. Transfer onion to a large bowl. Add in lamb, eggs, parsley, bread crumbs, cumin, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients.

3. Preheat grill pan (or skillet) over medium heat with a drizzle of oil.

4. Form mixture into walnut-sized balls. Place meatballs onto the grill pan. Grill meatballs, turning once, until brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes each side.

5. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, cilantro, minced garlic and 1/4 tsp salt. Use raita as a dipping sauce.