Meat Recipes - Spicy Meat Balls Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cm/1/2in cube shrimp paste

• 1 large onion, roughly chopped

• 1-2 fresh red chilies, seeded and chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 15ml/1 tbsp coriander seeds

• 5ml/1 tsp cumin seeds

• 450g/1lb lean minced (ground) beef

• 10ml/2 tsp dark soy sauce

• 5ml/1 tsp soft dark brown sugar

• juice of 1 1/2 lemons

• a little beaten egg

• vegetable oil, for shallow frying

• salt and ground black pepper

• 1 green and 2 fresh red chilies, to garnish

• chili sambal, to serve

Serves 4-6

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Method:

1. Wrap the shrimp paste in a piece of foil and warm in a frying pan for 5 minutes, turning a few times. Unwrap and put in a food processor.

2. Add the onion, chilies and garlic to the food processor and process until finely chopped. Set aside.

3. Dry-fry the coriander and cumin seeds in a hot frying pan for 1 minute, to release the aroma. Tip the seeds into a mortar and grind with a pestle.

4. Put the meat in a large bowl. Stir in the onion mixture, ground spices, soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice and beaten egg. Season to taste.

5. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and fry the meat balls for 4-5 minutes, turning often, until cooked through and browned. You may have to do this in batches.

6. Drain the meat balls on kitchen paper, and then pile them on to a warm serving platter or into a large serving bowl.

7. Finely slice the green chili and one of the red chilies and sprinkle over the meat balls. Garnish with the remaining red chili, if you like. Serve with the chili sambal.