Great for a quick, tasty midweek meal or when you’re feeding a crowd
I love these lamb meatballs, aubergine and chickpea traybake as it can easily be scaled up when you have hungry mouths to feed.
- SERVES: 2
- PREP TIME: 10 mins
- COOKING TIME: 40 mins
- DIFFICULTY: easy
- IDEAL FOR: midweek meal, crowd-pleaser, friends/family weekend lunch/dinner
- BUDGET: £
The traybake
It’s a bit of a classic easy midweek meal, a traybake.
And they are a great way to feed a household without too much fuss.
But I have to admit, I find some of them a bit boring.
How many ways can you put chicken pieces onto a tray?
Having said that, I do love this traybake.
It has a fresh tomato and mint salsa which gives it a really nice summery flavour and gives this traybake a flavour lift.
And you get a nice Moroccan vibe with a touch of cumin in the meatballs and aubergine on the dish.
Lamb meatballs, aubergine and chickpea traybake
Sometimes, when you’re really busy, you still want to have friends over and let your hair down.
However, there are just some nights, when you really don’t have the mental capacity or desire to cook a 3-course meal.
Or even do a fairly simple low and slow dish.
This is why when I came across these lamb meatballs, aubergine and chickpea traybake.
I knew I was onto a winner.
Not only does it look good, but it also tastes great.
And everyone thinks you’ve put a lot more time into creating this dish than you really have.
The other bonus is, within 40 mins, you’re done.
Time to enjoy your friends and family and unwind for the week.
What could be more perfect?
Aubergine
I’m not a huge fan of aubergine in general.
There is always a lot of faffing i.e. salting, patting, rinsing, patting dry again, frying, patting (again).
This recipe is great, as there isn’t any faffing.
But I can tell you, next time you do a moussaka (which, I have to say, I love this recipe).
Go for the shortcut.
Skip salting and rinsing etc.
And just slice thinly, then add them to an oven tray with a little oil.
And bake for 5 – 10 mins.
You just want them soft and maybe a little colour
Fruit or veg?
Aubergine is technically a fruit; a berry, to be exact.
But people think of it and eat it like a vegetable.
Most varieties are a bit bland, with a mildly smoky flavour.
The flesh is spongy when raw but soft when cooked, although the small green ones are bitter and astringent.
When buying, choose aubergines that feel heavy and have glossy skins.
They originate from South-East Asia but are now grown all over the world.
With many different varieties.
But the most common is in the Mediterranean shiny, deep purple variety.
This is the aubergine we’re using in this recipe.
Recipe: Delicious Magazine
Check out some more meatball recipes, here
Lamb meatballs, aubergine and chickpea traybake
Ingredients
- 2 aubergine, chopped into chunks
- 2 red onions, chopped roughly
- 5 tsp ground cumin
- 4 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 500 g lamb mince
- 2 x 400 g tinned chickpeas
- 1-2 pinches of chilli flakes
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 400 g tomatoes, chopped
- small bunch of fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tbsp red vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C fan.Cut the aubergine and red onion. Put both on a large roasting tin, toss through the cumin, oregano and oil, and season. Spread into a single layer and roast for 15 – 20 minutes.
Meatballs
- In a bowl, break up the lamb mince and add 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp oregano, a pinch or two of chilli flakes and season with salt and pepper. Combine.Then, roll the lamb mince into walnut-sized meatballs.
- After the aubergine and onion have cooked for 20 minutes, stir everything in the tin up, adding the chickpeas and garlic, then season again. Top with the meatballs and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the meatballs have browned and the vegetables are tender.
Salsa
- Roughly chop the tomatoes and finely chop the mint.Stir them together in a bowl with the vinegar and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Serve the meatball traybake with the fresh tomato salsa and a drizzle finish of oil.