Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 500 g lean beef mince
  • 30 ml chutney
  • 30 ml tomato sauce
  • 2 baby marrows, grated
  • 60 ml uncooked oats
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 10 ml dried mixed herbs
  • 15 ml ground coriander
  • 45 ml chopped fresh parsley
  • ½ tsp salt
  • lemon juice and black pepper to taste
  • 30 ml sunflower or canola oil for frying
Method
  1. Place all the ingredients, except the oil, in a mixing bowl and mix with your hands until well combined. Season with lemon juice and pepper.
  2. Shape the mince mixture into small balls using about 2 tbsp (30 ml) of mince per ball.
  3. Heat half of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry half of the meat balls until golden brown on both sides.
  4. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for a few minutes or until cooked. Spoon out and repeat with remaining meat balls and oil.
  5. Allow meat balls to cool and pack in a lunch box with a dipping sauce of your choice, such as sweet chilli sauce, tomato sauce or plain low-fat yoghurt. Alternatively serve warm with salad ingredients as a light lunch.

Tips

1. When buying sauces like chutney and tomato sauce, make sure you choose a good quality option that is lower in sugar and salt.
2. The meat balls can also be served with fresh fruit or left-over cooked veggies like sweet potato, butternut or even corn on the cob. Baby potatoes in the skin also work well. The meatballs are delicious as a filling for pitas with salad ingredients.
3. This recipe makes about 12-15 small meat balls.

*Recipe courtesy of cookingfromtheheart.co.za.