Meatballs in Aubergine Sauce by Gila

"Albondigas" - Traditional meatballs cooked in a smoky aubergine sauce

Adapted from an original recipe by Shaily Lipa

preptime20 min
cooktime75 min
servings6-8 servings
Ingredients

Ingredients:

Meatballs

  • ½ kg ground beef, fresh

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 slices challah bread (2 cm thick, crust removed, soaked in water, and squeezed)

  • ½ cup parsley, finely chopped

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Olive oil, for frying

Sauce

  • 2 medium aubergines

  • 2 cups mineral or filtered water

  • ¼ cup lemon juice

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tbsp sugar

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Serving

  • ⅓ cup parsley, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Preparation:

Sauce

  1. Roast the aubergines over an open flame, turning every few minutes, until they are soft and charred. Let them cool for 10-15 minutes

  2. Peel the skin off the aubergines and place the flesh in a sieve to drain excess liquid for about 1 hour

  3. Coarsely chop the aubergine flesh and transfer to a wide pot

  4. Add water, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, and sugar, seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed

Meatballs

  1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, onion, eggs, challah bread, parsley, salt, and pepper. Knead the mixture well

  2. Heat olive oil (about ½ cm deep) in a non-stick skillet over medium heat

  3. Fry a small test meatball to check seasoning, and adjust if needed

  4. Shape the mixture into approximately 25 small meatballs, each about 2.5 cm in diameter

  5. Fry the meatballs in batches, 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels

Cooking

  1. Add the fried meatballs to the pot with the sauce and bring it back to a boil. Gently shake the pot so the meatballs are submerged in the sauce (avoid stirring to prevent them from breaking)

  2. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour, until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are fully cooked

Serving

  1. Sprinkle with coarsely chopped parsley before serving

Notes

Notes:

  • Only fry the meatballs until browned; they will finish cooking in the sauce

  • Gently shake the pot during cooking to mix the flavors without breaking the meatballs

Ingriyi

Back to index

Meatballs in Zucchini and Tomato Sauce