Indian-Style Ratatouille with Lamb Meatballs
Lamb meatballs and ratatouille braised together with fragrant Indian spices – a wonderful one-pot wonder with loads of great flavor.
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 mins
- Yield: 6-8
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: indian
Ingredients
- Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground lamb
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (from 2 slices good-quality white bread pulsed in a food-processor)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
- Ratatouille
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each), ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 5 large cloves)
- 3 bell peppers (any mix of red, yellow or green), seeded, deveined, and diced
- 1 bunch scallions (about 8), trimmed and thinly sliced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded, deveined, and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger (about a 2-inch piece)
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- several grinds of fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup canned, unsweetened coconut milk (shake can before opening)
- 1/2 cup water
- Garnish
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- lemon juice (1 lemon)
- lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- fresh chopped cilantro, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300ºF.
- Meatballs Put lamb and bread crumbs into a medium bowl. Whisk egg with 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon garam masala, and 1 teaspoon salt, and add to bowl. Mix everything together until just combined. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs (In two batches to avoid over-crowding) on all sides, 7-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Cover with foil to keep warm while you cook the vegetables.
- Ratatouille Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in a large deep covered pot, such as a dutch oven. Add eggplant cubes and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes (regulate heat to avoid burning) Add zucchini and cook for an additional 5 minutes, continuing to stir frequently. The vegetables will start to soften. Add the garlic, bell peppers, scallions, jalapeños, ginger, turmeric, saffron, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, continuing to stir frequently, until vegetables soften a bit. Add the coconut milk plus 1/2 cup water. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the meatballs and stir everything gently to combine. Cover pot and braise in the oven for 35 minutes.
- Just before serving, stir through a teaspoon of garam masala. Then sprinkle with lemon juice, lemon zest and cilantro. Enjoy!