Serves two to four.  The lemon gives it a bit of edge that you don’t normally get with meatballs, and I love lemon…

Ingredients

• 1 litre vegetable oil, for deep frying

Meatballs

• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 250g beef mince
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• ½ tsp coriander seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• Handful fresh parsley
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Tomato sauce

• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 50g peas
• 1 lemon, juice only
• Handful fresh herbs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Put the onion, garlic, beef mince, tomato puree, coriander, cumin, parsley and seasoning in a food processor and let them get to know each other.  Once they’re all good friends, remove them from the processor and shape into small rounds – easier if your hands are damp.

Heat the oil in a pan to frying temperature (a cube of bread should brown in about 15 seconds – 180ºC).  Deep fry the meatballs in batches for three-four minutes, or until brown.  Once cooked, put the meatballs in a low oven to keep them warm.

To make the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a medium frying pan and add the tomato.  Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the tomato puree, lemon juice, pea, herbs, and seasoning.  Simmer for five-six minutes until thickened.  Once thickened, stir in the meatballs.

Serve garnished with fresh coriander and with a wedge of lemon.