Turkey Meatballs In A Savoury Moroccan Tagine Inspired Sauce

You can't really cook casseroles and onepots without coming across the tagine. Tagines are named after they're distinctive earthenware pot they're traditionally cooked in and are generally a heavily spiced, richly flavoured stew like dish. This is my take on a Moroccan meatball tagine, replacing the usual lamb or beef mince with lower calorie, lower fat turkey mince.

You will need:

For the meatballs:
500g turkey mince
1 egg
1 small onion, grated or very finely chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

For the sauce:
1 tbsp vegetable (rapeseed) oil
3 small onions, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 200g cartons passata
1 tbsp lemon juice (or half a lemon if you're using fresh)
1 can chickpeas

Method:
1. Add the turkey, egg and remaining meatball ingredients to a large bowl and mix until fairly well incorporated.
2. Form the mixture into roughly 2cm diameter balls, place on a tray and set aside in the fridge.
3. Add the oil to a fairly large, heavy based, pan with a lid and warm over a medium heat.
4. Add the onion and green pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the onion starts to soften.
5. Add the garlic, ginger, spices and herbs and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
6. Add the passata, lemon juice and chickpeas, bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, until the sauce is rich and deeply flavoured.
7. Remove the meatballs from the fridge, add to the sauce, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.

Notes:
Serve over couscous or alongside a decent sized chunk of lightly warmed, crusty, buttered bread.