Food & Drink

Recipe of the Week: Lamb Meatballs with Rhubarb-Yogurt Sauce

Make the most of rhubarb season with Amy Pennington's savory lamb dish

By Compiled by Alene Bouranova June 8, 2015

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Think rhubarb only belongs in pies and cakes? Well think again, because local cookbook author, blogger and Seattle mag contributor Amy Pennington is out to prove otherwise. In this delicious excerpt from her Fresh Pantry eBook series, Pennington swaps cucumber for rhubarb in a seasonal take on raita yogurt sauce.

“I absolutely love yogurt, especially when served alongside a savory dish of roasted or heavily spiced meat,” she says. In this case, tangy yogurt perfectly complements spicy lamb meatballs. Mouth watering yet? Time to get cooking!

Lamb Meatballs with Rhubarb-Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

Lamb Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground lamb 
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon red chile flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano  
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

Rhubarb-Yogurt Sauce

  • 4 ounces rhubarb (about 2 stalks), trimmed and cut into a very small dice
  • 1 cup plain yogurt 
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Put the ground lamb and all of the spices except the nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix well until the spices are evenly distributed throughout the lamb.
  3. Shape the mixture into small meatballs, about 3 inches in diameter, and place them in a roasting pan (be sure to leave space between the meatballs).
  4. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the meatballs and put in the oven.
  5. Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. 
  6. While the meatballs are roasting, make the rhubarb raita. In a small bowl, combine the rhubarb, yogurt, honey, and nutmeg, stirring to combine well. Set the mixture aside.
  7. Remove the meatballs from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving alongside a bowl of rhubarb raita.

PANTRY NOTE: Lamb meatballs can be made ahead and chilled until ready to use, up to three days. Leftover rhubarb raita can be stored in the fridge, covered, for a week. Use it on grilled meats or tacos, or whiz up into a morning smoothie along with some mango and honey. 

 

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