Eggplant chicken meatballs with tzatziki

Serves: 4

Time to make: 40 mins

Ingredients

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olive spray oil

½ medium (250g) eggplantaubergineX, cut in 1cm cubes

480g lean chicken mince

1 lemon, 1 teaspoon zest

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 ½ cups tomato passata

Tzatziki

1 medium-sized cucumber

200g tub low-fat plain yoghurt

5 tablespoons reduced-fat ricotta cheese

1 clove garlic, crushed

¼ teaspoon dried mint

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Instructions

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1 Spray a large frying pan with oil. Add eggplant and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until very soft. Add 1 tablespoon water to pan every few minutes to stop eggplant from sticking and to help cooking. Cool. (This can be done a day in advance.)

2 In a mixing bowl place chicken, lemon zest, mint, chives and cooked eggplant. Mix using hands and shape mixture into 20 walnut-sized balls.

3 Spray a large frying pan with oil. Brown meatballs until golden. Pour passata around meatballs and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid or piece of foil. Simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes or until cooked.

4 Meanwhile, to make tzatziki, grate cucumber and squeeze out excess liquid. Place yoghurt and ricotta in a bowl and beat together with garlic and mint until smooth. Fold through grated cucumber. Serve with meatballs and a green salad.

Variations

Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free varieties of yoghurt and tomato passata.

Nutrition Info (per serve)

Calories 246 cal

Kilojoules 1030 kJ

Protein 30 g

Total fat 9 g

Saturated fat 3 g

Carbohydrates 10 g

Sugar 10 g

Dietary fibre 4 g

Sodium 300 mg

Calcium 200 mg

Iron 3 mg

Note: This nutrition analysis is a guide only. Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. See our guides on your optimal daily nutrition intake, and supermarket shopping.