Spicy Madras-spiced meatballs

Straight off I’d like to acknowledge that this is Jamie Oliver’s recipe https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/lamb-recipes/giant-madras-spiced-meatballs/ … the husband and I chanced upon Jamie Oliver’s cookery show on Channel 4 whilst channel surfing. I have changed quantity of lamb and lentils but everything else is the same. My sister-in-law and her husband are staying with us over the weekend and I made this for dinner last night, to say it was well received is an understatement, this recipe actually works!

Ingredients:

• 400 gms lean lamb mince
• 4 mild red chillies – deseeded and sliced
• 1 packet ready cooked Put Lentils (I used Merchant Gourmet)
• 400 gms frozen spinach
• 3.5 tbsp Madras curry paste (I used Jamie Oliver’s range)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil
• Mango chutney
• Yoghurt
• 300 gms Basmati rice (washed till water runs clear)
• 600 mls boiling water.

Method:

Preheat oven to 220 (200 degrees if using fan oven) degrees Celsius.

Mix the lamb mince, curry paste and lentils until well incorporated and divide mixture into 8 portions and shape into balls.

Arrange meatballs on a baking tray greased with olive oil and place sliced chillies around them, splash some more olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.

Take pan out of oven, remove the chillies and reserve. Put the washed rice around the cooked meatballs and add the boiling water. Place frozen spinach and chillies on top of the rice.

Cover tightly with foil and the tray goes back in the oven for a further 20 minutes.

Take pan out of oven and gently mix the spinach into the rice and cover with foil. Place the tray back into the oven for a further 20 minutes.

Once the 20 minutes are up remove tray from oven and spoon a teaspoon of mango chutney on each meatball.

Serve hot with yoghurt and sliced cucumber and tomatoes on the side.