Hungarian Meatballs

The second bout of meatball goodness! We go a little further east for this warm smoky dish that has been a regular fixture of our winter months. Caraway seeds and paprika are the main flavours that give this dish a light smoky taste which turns creamy when served with cooling natural yoghurt. Mushrooms, peppers and potato served in tomato broth form a perfect stew-like base for these spicy meatballs.     

The following recipe makes two generous portions of meatballs.

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 250g lean turkey mince

• 2 x slices of Weight watchers whole meal bread, blitzed with a hand blender (Approximately 55g)

• 1 beef stock cube, crumbled (I know it's turkey, it just works!)

• 1 teaspoon of chili flakes

• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds

• 1 teaspoon of ground coriander

• ½ teaspoon of dried garlic

• 2 teaspoons of dried parsley

• 15g grated parmesan cheese

• 1 medium egg, lightly beaten

• 1 dash of worcestershire sauce

• 4 sprays of Fry Light One Cal spray oil for frying

Method

To make the meatballs

1. Add the turkey, breadcrumbs, stock cube, seasonings and cheese to a large bowl and combine, breaking the mince into smaller pieces. (If you're blitzing your own bread crumbs, you can add the caraway seeds, chili flakes and cumin seeds to the breadcrumbs mix and blitz them into the crumbs). 
2. Next, add the egg and worcestershire sauce and continue to mix well for a minute or so. If the mixture is a little dry, you can add a small splash of low fat milk. (If the mixture is too wet, you can add a few more breadcrumbs).
3. To shape the meatballs, I find it's best to wet one hand. Take approximately 1 heaped teaspoon full of the mince mixture and place it in the palm of your wet hand. Use the fingers of your dry hand to roll the mixture into a ball. Continue with the mixture to make approximately 30-35 meatballs. Wet your hand again a couple of times during the process.
4. I usually store the meatballs on a sheet of tin foil, while preparing the sauce,  but you can make them beforehand and store them in the fridge until your ready. The meatballs will also freeze well at this point.

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce

• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

• 2 teaspoons of tomato puree

• 250ml boiling water

• 2 sweeteners

• 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled

• 1 teaspoon of cayenne

• 1 teaspoon of paprika

• 1 green pepper, washed and sliced

• 1 red (or yellow) pepper, washed and sliced

• 5g / 1 teaspoon of low fat butter spread

• 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds

• 1 medium onion. (Red or white onion would work). Peeled and finely sliced

• 2 cloves of garlic. Peeled and finely chopped
• 400g potatoes. Washed/scrubbed and sliced in equal sized wedges

• Salt to taste

• A good twist of black pepper
• 1 x 125g tub of 0% fat, plain natural yoghurt

Method

To complete the dish

1. Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, stock cube, boiling water and sweeteners to a large pot. Turn the heat to a high heat and bring the pot to a boil. Once it’s boiled, reduce the heat to medium and add the cayenne and paprika and stir in.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan on a high heat and add 2 sprays of oil. Add half the meatballs and fry lightly for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned. Shake the pan to ensure all sides are browned. Transfer the meatballs to the tomato sauce.
3. Add the second 2 sprays of oil and fry the second batch of meatballs. Add these to the sauce.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the mushrooms and fry gently for 5 minutes. The mushrooms should soak up any residue left behind by the meatballs. Transfer the mushrooms to the tomato sauce.
5. Next, add the sliced peppers and fry gently for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned. You should lightly season the peppers with salt and pepper. Transfer the peppers to the tomato sauce.
6. Finally, add the butter spread to the pan and, when bubbling, add the caraway seeds and stir them for a minute, then add the onions. Stir gently for 3-5 minutes, until lightly coloured. Then add the garlic and continue to fry for a further minute. Add the onion and garlic mixture to the tomato sauce also. 
7. Next, add the potatoes to the pan and fry gently for 5-8 minutes. Again, you should lightly season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Transfer the potatoes to the tomato sauce.
8. Stir the tomato sauce gently to make sure all the additional ingredients are combined, but don't break up the meatballs. Bring the pot back to the boil and let it bubble for a minute or so.
9. Reduce the heat to low/medium and partially cover the pot with a lid and leave to simmer for approximately 35 minutes. Stir the pot every 10 minutes or so to ensure the sauce is not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
10. When cooked, check the seasoning and add some salt and pepper as needed. Check the potato is fully cooked by tasting. Divide into two portions and serve with 0% fat natural yoghurt.