Daoud Basha Recipe – Lebanese Meatballs

Everyone has tried meatballs but there are so many variations that no two meatball recipes are the same. You’ve probably tried Italian and Swedish meatballs, but if you haven’t tried Lebanese meatballs give this Daoud Basha recipe a go.

You can easily adapt this meatball recipe depending on your meat preferences. So, you can choose if you want beef or lamb, you can also try it out with chicken or turkey. This recipe suggests using beef or lamb as it gives it more of an authentic Lebanese flavour. Lebanese meatballs are made in a tomato sauce and contain a mix of nuts and spices that make it different to other meatball recipes. The pine nuts in this Daoud Basha recipe also makes this dish more authentically Lebanese.

Meatballs are always a firm family favourite and they can be quite fun to make. They’re a homey comfort food and they’re filling so they’re great for a mid-week treat. You can choose to eat these meatballs in different ways, served over rice, on their own or with vermicelli pasta. So depending on your preferences you can easily tailor this Daoud Basha recipe to make it your own way.

Recipe adapted from hadiaslebanesecuisine.com

 Course Main Dish
 Cuisine Lebanese
 Servings 4

INGREDIENTS

For the meatballs
500 g ground beef or lamb
8 tsps parsely finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
1 tsp Salt to taste
dash allspice
dash cayenne pepper
dash black pepper

For the tomato sauce
3 large onions
3 large tomatoes
3 tbsp canola oil or peanut oil
dash white pepper
1 tsp tomato paste;
18 oz water
1 tbsp butter
dash cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
45 g pine nuts
Daoud Basha recipe, Lebanese meatballs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix the meat, onion, parsley, allspice, cayenne pepper and salt.

2. Divide the meat into portions, about the size of an apricot. Gently roll each portion between your palms, creating round shaped balls. Set aside.

3. Add oil to a wide skillet and roast the pine nuts over medium heat stirring constantly until golden in color. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

4. Add the meatballs in batches to the same skillet and sear the balls on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside.

5. Sautee the onions, in the same skillet, to translucent

6. Add the diced tomatoes and salt and cook over medium heat until the tomatoes start wilting, bout 5 minutes.

7. Pour the water and add the tomato paste. Stir to incorporate.

8. Sprinkle the white pepper and cayenne pepper. Return the meatballs to the skillet and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the toasted pine nuts and serve it with plain rice or rice and vermicelli.