ALGIERS- Officially known as The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Algeria is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa on the Mediterranean coast. Algeria has a complex food heritage given a range of factors, including being the largest country in Africa and the Mediterranean, so it has many different landscapes & natural food sources, with a diverse of ethnics . In addition, the Algerian people have endured being colonised by different nations who installed their cuisines, transforming the Algerian cuisine to an eclectic mix of flavours, aromas & textures.
Today’s recipe:
Mtewem / M’thouem ~ An Algerian dish of meatballs and chickpeas in a red sauce packed with garlic and finished with toasted flaked almonds.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Serving Size: 2-3
An Algerian dish of meatballs and chickpeas in a red sauce – full of garlic punch!
Ingredients
FOR THE MEATBALLS:
250g minced beef (or lamb)
1/4 tsp cumin
quarter head of garlic
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
FOR THE SAUCE:
1 onion, finely chopped
half head of garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 large handful of chickpeas, pre-soaked and cooked
1 handful of toasted flaked almonds
2 tablespoon olive oil
black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
water
Instructions
Make the meatballs: In a large bowl mix together beef mince, egg, garlic and spices.
Oil hands then form walnut sized meatballs (i used a tablespoon of meat mix per meatball) Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Make Sauce : In a large sauce pan over low-medium heat add oil then onions and saué until soft and golden. Add the garlic, chickpeas, spices and tomato paste and continue to cook for a minute or two before adding meatballs into the pan and then add enough water to cover, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
Once the meatballs are cooked through, remove the meatballs and set aside. Continue to reduce the sauce for an additional 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened a bit. Whilst sauce is reducing toast the almonds in a dry frying pan and set aside to cool.
Once the sauce has slightly thickened, transfer into your serving platter then sprinkle with the toasted almonds and serve.
Source: halalhomecooking
