I am a fan of Middle Eastern food and always happy to try out new recipes. I  get inspiration from different places  including the Yotam Ottolenghi inspired Facebook group,  fellow foodie enthusiasts from around the World who share recipes, ingredients, places to source them & useful advice. One of their favourite recipes is Yotams’ turkey & courgette/zucchini burgers. The original recipe is served with a soured cream & sumac sauce. I’ve tweaked it slightly,  making meatballs and serving with a tomato Harissa sauce as a dairy free alternative.

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 500g (1.1 lb) minced turkey
• 1 large courgette (zucchini) coarsely grated
• 1  shallot, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
• finely grated rind of 1/2 fresh lemon
• 1 medium hot  fresh red chilli, seeds removed & finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon sumac
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium egg, lightly mixed
• 1 tablespoon of fine breadcrumbs or matzah meal
• 8-10 tablespoons of  vegetable oil ( I used rapeseed)

Courgette (Zucchini) Grated & Ready to Mix

Method

• Preheat the oven to  200 degrees ( 390 F) fan
• Mix all the ingredients except the vegetable oil in a large bowl
• Refrigerate mix for about 15 minutes to make it easier to roll
• Roll to form balls about 3.5cm (1 1/2 inch) in diameter
  

  Roll it roll it roll it!

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan
• Fry meatballs in 3-4 batches for 4-5 minutes to brown slightly on all sides
• Once browned on all sides remove with a slotted spoon
• Transfer to a foil lined metal tray and cook in the oven for 7-8 minutes

Tomato Harissa Sauce:

Ingredients

•  400g (14 oz) can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, leaves removed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• freshly ground sea salt & black pepper
• small pinch of brown sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2- 1 teaspoon of Harissa paste

Method

• Heat oil in a small pan over a medium heat
• Cook the onion for 4-5 minutes until soft & translucent
• Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring
• Add the remaining ingredients, stir and turn the heat down to low
• Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally

Serve with some couscous, wild rice or pasta.

Inspired by Yotam  – Middle Eastern Meatballs – tasty!