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For the Kefta (meatballs)
1 pound ground lamb or beef
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup onion, peeled and finely chopped
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg for binding
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil for pan-frying
For the sauce
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
2 pounds tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste
6 eggs
Combine the ingredients for the meatballs. Wet your hands and shape the meat mixture into 1-inch balls, re-wetting your hands if the meat begins to stick to them.
Heat a six to eight quart stove-top casserole and add then add the olive oil. Brown the meatballs well in the oil, in batches if necessary, then remove. Leave the oil in the pot. Cover the meatballs and set aside.
To the reserved oil, add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Saute the vegetables until the onion turns translucent. Add all the remaining ingredients for the sauce and simmer, covered, 30 minutes, or until the sauce cooks down to a thick gravy.
Return the meatballs to the sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Carefully break the eggs into the sauce and poach them for a few minutes. Be careful not to overcook the eggs. Serve at once directly from the pot.
Serves 6.