Lamb Meatballs In Yogurt Sauce
Greek Lamb Meatballs that are tender and fluffy in a creamy yogurt sauce that's herby-fresh and flavored with lemon and garlic!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 561kcal
Ingredients
For The Meatballs:
- 500 grams (1.1 pounds) ground lamb
- 80 grams (2.8 ounce) white bread crumb cut into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ teaspoon ground pepper
- 3-4 leaves spearmint or mint minced
- 2 tablespoons parsley minced
- 1½ tablespoons vinegar (I'm using red wine vinegar)
- 80 grams (½ medium-sized) onion
- 20 grams (1 medium) spring onion
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅓ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For The Sauce:
- 30 grams (2 tablespoons) butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1½ tablespoons flour
- 2½ cups hot water or stock
- 250 grams (1 cup) Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh dill minced
- 2 teaspoons spearmint or mint minced
- 1-2 pita bread cut into triangles to serve with
Instructions
Prepare The Meatballs:
- Add the bread crumb to a bowl and pour 3-4 tablespoons of water. Mix it to become evenly wet.
- Blend the onions and garlic. Add both types of onions after cutting them into smaller pieces to a food processor and pulse until almost smooth.
- Add the ground lamb to a mixing bowl and combine with the onion pulse, the bread crumb, the spearmint, parsley, vinegar, nutmeg, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Knead the mixture for 2-3 minutes.
- Optional step: Refrigerate the mixture for about an hour. To become firm, hold its shape, and for the flavors to combine.
Cook The Meatballs:
- Shape. Make about 22-23 small round meatballs (weighing approx. 35 grams each).
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over high heat.
- Brown the meatballs. Turn them gently using 2 forks or tweezers to brown all around. Do this in two batches.
- Drain the meatballs on paper towels.
- Melt butter over moderate heat in a saute pan.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and stir well with a wooden spoon. Cook for a minute or two until sandy in color.
- Pour in the hot water or stock.
- Simmer. Cover the saute pan with a lid and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- Mix the yogurt and lemon juice in a bowl.
- Drain all the sauce from the meatballs and slowly mix it into the yogurt.
- Transfer the sauce back to the saute pan off the heat, and stir to combine with the meatballs.
- Season the sauce with salt, and ground pepper (taste to see how much it needs), and mix in the 1-2 tablespoons of dill and 2 teaspoons of spearmint.
- Serve with pita bread and enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 561kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 824mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 421IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 3mg