Lebanese-Style Meatballs on Aubergine Mutabbal

For the aubergines

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

2. Poke the aubergines a few times with a knife to help them cook faster.

3. Heat a stainless steel pan over high heat, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil, and add the aubergines.

4. Sear the aubergines, turning every few minutes, until charred all over, about 6–8 minutes.

5. Transfer the pan with the aubergines into the preheated oven and roast until soft throughout.

   Then 20 min of waiting

6. Remove the aubergines from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

   Then 10 min of waiting

For the meatballs

7. Roughly chop the onions, place in a food processor, and blend into a fine pulp.

8. Transfer the onion pulp into a nut milk bag or cheesecloth and squeeze out about half the liquid.

9. Finely chop the parsley.

10. In a large bowl, combine the lamb mince, drained onion pulp, chopped parsley, crushed garlic, salt, black pepper, boharat, allspice, cinnamon, sumac, and cayenne pepper.

11. Knead the mixture thoroughly with your hands for 1–2 minutes until the proteins bind and stringy fibers form when pulled apart.

    Squeezing and kneading the meat builds protein structure, keeping the meatballs from falling apart in the pan.

12. If the mixture feels greasy or soft, chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

    Then 30 min of waiting

13. Divide the meat mixture into 40–45 g portions and roll each into a smooth ball.

14. Chill the shaped meatballs in the fridge until firm before cooking.

    Then 15 min of waiting

15. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large stainless steel pan over high heat.

16. Add the meatballs in a single layer and sear for about 90 seconds until a brown crust forms on the bottom.

17. Turn or roll the meatballs and cook until browned all over, about 5–6 minutes total.

18. Remove the meatballs to a plate and set aside, leaving the brown residue (fond) in the pan.

For the sweet and sour sauce

19. Pour a splash of the vegetable stock into the hot pan used for the meatballs and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.

20. Add the remaining vegetable stock, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and the rosemary sprig.

21. Mix the cornstarch with the cold water in a small bowl to make a slurry, then stir it into the boiling sauce.

22. Return the meatballs to the pan with the sauce and turn the heat down to medium.

23. Simmer until the sauce reduces to a thick glaze and the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

    Then 15 min of waiting

For the mutabbal

24. Cut the ends off the roasted aubergines, peel away the skin, or scoop out the soft flesh with a spoon.

25. Chop and mash the aubergine flesh finely on a board using a chef's knife.

26. In a bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, tahina, salt, black pepper, and 1 tbsp water until smooth.

    Skips the traditional lemon juice in the dip because the meatballs are served with an acidic sauce.

27. Stir in additional water if the mixture is too thick, then fold in the mashed aubergine until combined.

For the garlic and herb oil

28. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.

29. Add the pine nuts and fry until they start to turn golden brown, about 1–2 minutes.

30. Add the minced garlic and chopped coriander, stirring for 30 seconds to remove the raw garlic edge.

31. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse.

To assemble

32. Spread the creamy aubergine mutabbal evenly across a serving platter.

33. Arrange the glazed meatballs on top of the dip.

34. Spoon the garlic and coriander oil with pine nuts over the meatballs and dip.

35. Sprinkle with fresh pomegranate seeds and serve warm with flatbread or rice.

To garnish