Chicken and mushrooms have always been best friends, so I thought why not combine them in meatballs? The addition of chilli, coriander and cummin adds a zing! I had never used mushrooms into meatballs before but it worked really well, adding texture and “meatiness” to the fine chicken mince. These would be good as a starter with a sweet chilli dipping sauce or with salad for dinner. I served them for a late dinner alongside Butterflied Prawns with garlic and chilli and the Caramelised Brussel Sprout and Spinach Salad
Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients
400g chicken mince
4 button mushrooms very finely diced
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 onion finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of ginger and garlic paste (2 cloves garlic and equal amount ginger pounded to paste)
1-2 red chillies chopped finely
1 teaspoon cummin powder
1 teaspoon cummin seeds
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Combine all ingredients,except the olive oil, mix thoroughly check mixture is not too “sticky”. Add more breadcrumbs if needed. Mixture should easily roll into balls without sticking.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Roll mixture into medium sized balls and place on baking trip.
Brush the tops of the meatballs lightly with olive oil to help them brown and crisp up through the cooking process.
Cook for 20-25 minutes until golden. Check to see that the chicken is fully cooked, and leave for longer if required.
Makes about 20 meatballs.
Some quick tips:
I use disoposable gloves so I can mix the ingredients thoroughly and then roll into balls.
I also microwave a small portion of the mixture for 30 seconds or so to taste the mixture. This helps determine if you need more salt or spices.