Madras meatballs with spiced vegetables

Instructions

For the meatballs:

1 Preheat the oven to 210°C.

2 Heat the oil in a small saucepan and gently fry the onion and garlic till soft. Meanwhile mix the salt and breadcrumbs into the mince.

3 When the onion is soft, add all the spices to the pan and cook gently for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant, taking care not to burn the spices. Remove from the heat and cool slightly before mixing into the mince. Work the spices into the meat with your hands, then using wet hands form the meat into approximately 28 balls.

4 Lightly spray a heatproof pan with cooking spray and place the meatballs on the tray, spacing them out for even heat circulation. Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes; shake the pan during cooking to brown the meatballs on all sides. When cooked through, remove from the oven and drain on absorbent paper.

5 Serve 4-5 meatballs per person with a dollop of natural yoghurt, spiced vegetables and some flat bread.

For the vegetables:

6 Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds are popping, add the chopped onion and sauté until soft. Stir in all the other spices, cooking gently for 1-2 minutes – take care they don't burn. Add the tomatoes, sugar, vegetables and stock and simmer 10-15 minutes, just until the vegetables are tender.

7 Remove from the heat and stir in the tablespoon of yoghurt. Serve the spiced vegetables as a side dish. They go particularly well with dry-style curries like chicken tikka, or with meatballs (as above) or fish.