Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Moroccan spices
• 400g chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
• 60g rolled oats 
• ½ red onion, roughly chopped 
• 2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped 
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed 
• bunch of coriander, finely chopped
• zest of 1 lemon
• 500g carton of passata
• vegetable stock cube
• 2tsp brown sugar
• Requires a food processor

Preheat the oven to 180°C

To make the sauce heat a splash of oil in a heavy based pan with a lid, over a medium heat. Fry 2 crushed garlic cloves for a few minutes. Add the passata to the saucepan along with half the coriander. Add the sugar, crumble in the vegetable stock cube, pour in 150ml of water, stir everything together and season to taste. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, place the lid and cook for 15 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking make the meatballs. Pulse the remaining 2 garlic cloves, carrots, onion, lemon zest, oats, remaining coriander, Moroccan spices and a pinch of salt in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas and continue to pulse until they are also finely chopped. It’s important to pulse the ingredients and not run the food processor on auto as you want the mixture to be a crumb consistency, not smooth. It should hold together but not stick to your hands. If it doesn’t hold, pulse a few more times. If it is too sticky add some more oats.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Using both your hands roll little round meatballs about the size of a ping pong ball. 

Distribute the meatballs evenly across a baking tray and cover in the tomato sauce. Cook for 20 minutes and serve.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with couscous.