Readers of this blog know that I like meatballs in any shape or form and that necessity (or not having ingredients I want on hand) sometimes forces me to improvise. These pumpkin and beef meatballs were no exception. I bought minced beef and planned to cook my normal meatballs with bread, onion and cumin. Uh oh! No bread! What do I have in the house that could be used bind them a bit? Hmm, there is some pumpkin in the fridge that really needs cooking. I'll try that. I am very glad that I did try pumpkin as it was a great combination: beef, cumin and pumpkin.
Ingredients
600 gr minced beef
1 onion
2 cups pumpkin pieces
1 egg
2 tsp ground cummin
Pepper
Flour
Extra cummin
Olive oil
Ready made tomato sauce
Mode
Prepare tomato sauce and have simmering
Chop pumpkin into small portions and peel
Place in steamer or microwave until soft
Chop onion finely
Place beef, onion, egg, pumpkin and cummin in bowl and mix until combined preferably with hands
Place flour on a plate and add a few grinds of pepper and a little cummin and stir
Using tablespoons of mixture form meatballs by hand and roll in seasoned flour
Heat oil in pan
Add batches of meatballs and seal
Add meatballs to tomato sauce and simmer until cooked through (about 20 minutes)
Serve with rice or pasta