- Liam Holohan
Lamb Meatball and Chickpea Stew
A great low carb dish to fuel your winter training. This simple one pan dish is infused with Middle Eastern flavours; it’s a great winter warmer.

500 g Lamb mince
3 tsp Ras El Hanout spice mix
2 tbsp Chopped parsley
3 Garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp salt
Mix the ingredients for the meatballs together in a bowl until well incorporated. With wet hands, roll these in to 12 equal sized balls.
Put a pan on high heat, add glug of olive oil and brown the meatballs on all sides. You’re not cooking them through at this stage, just adding colour. Remove and place on kitchen paper. Reduce the heat to low.
1 Onion, diced
1 Red Pepper, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
2 tsp Ras El Hanout
1 Tin of Tomatoes
200ml Water
1 tbsp Rose Harrisa
2 Tins Chickpeas, drained
Meatballs
Add the pepper and onion to the pan with a pinch of salt. Sweat over low heat until the onion’s soft and translucent. Add the garlic and spice mix and cook for 1 minute, before adding the other ingredients. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes until thickened slightly.
2 Handfuls of Kale
Add the kale and simmer for 5 more minutes.
1 Lemon, juiced
1 handful Parsley, chopped
1 handful Mint, chopped
3 tbsp Pomegranate seeds
Stir through the lemon juice, check the seasoning. Top with the remaining ingredients. Bon appetite!
A great accompaniment to the dish is a drizzle of tahini sauce. The recipe is below.
2 tsp Tahini
3 tbsp Greek Yoghurt
50ml Cold Water
Pinch of Salt
Add the ingredients to a blender, blitz until smooth. Add more water to get the desired consistency.