Loaded meatballs

Packed full of vegetables and flavour, this recipe takes meatballs to a new level. It's also translated in to Te Reo Māori.

15 meneti ki te whakarite, 25 meneti ki te taka, hei kai mā te 4-5 tāngata.

Ingredients
  • 500grams mince (500karamu mīti nakunaku)
  • 1 bunch silverbeet/ spinach (1 kāpuitanga korare/rengamutu)
  • 1 carrot (1 kāroti)
  • 1 small kumara (1 kūmara iti)
  • 1 small potato (1 rīwai iti)
  • 1 egg (1 hēki)
  • ½ onion (½ riki)
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (¼ kapu kongakonga parāoa)
  • 1 Tbs of (1P): BBQ sauce (kīnaki BBQ) Soy sauce (kīnaki soy) Oyster sauce (kīnaki tio)
  • Salt and pepper to season (tote me te pepa hei whakatāwara)
Method
  1. 1. Turn on and set oven at 160c (Whakamahanatia te oumu ki te 160 tākiri).
  2. 2. Thinly chop silverbeet/spinach (Tapatapahia te korare/rengamutu kia rahirahi rānō).
  3. 3. Peel and grate carrot, kūmara, potato and onion (Horea, ā, kuorohia te kāroti, te kūmara, te rīwai me te riki).
  4. 4. Place mince in a bowl and add all the vegetables (Whakaurua te mīti nakunaku ki tētahi oko, ā, āpitihia ngā huawhenua katoa).
  5. 5. Add the egg and breadcrumbs as well as the sauces (Āpitihia te hēki, ngā kongakonga parāoa me ngā kīnaki katoa).
  6. 6. Season with salt and pepper (Whakatāwarahia ki te tote me te pepa).
  7. 7. Mix all together and roll in to balls the size of a ping pong ball (Whakaranua katoatia, ā, rōrahia mai ētahi poi, kia rite te rahi ki te pōro poikōpiko).
  8. 8. Place in an oven tray (lined with baking paper) (Whakatakotohia ki tētahi pae oumu (he pepa tunu o runga)).
  9. 9. Bake in the oven at 160c for 15 minutes (Tunua ki te oumu 160 tākiri pāmāhana mō te 15 meneti).
  10. 10. Add oil to a hot pan (Āpitihia he noni ki tētahi hōpane wera).
  11. 11. Sauté onions and herbs (Paraihia ngā riki me ngā otaota).
  12. 12. Add tomatoes (Āpitihia ngā tomato).
  13. 13. Add ½ cup of water, let boil on medium heat for 10 mins (Āpitihia he ½ kapu wai, ā, tukua kia koropupū i te weranga o waenga mō te 10 meneti).
  14. 14. Remove meatballs from the oven and add to sauce in the pan, cover and simmer on low heat for a further 5 minutes. Season and serve. (Tangohia mai ngā pōro mīti i te oumu, ā, apitihia atu ki te hōpane, taupokitia, ka mutu, tukua kia āta koropupū i te weranga o raro mō te 5 meneti anō. Whakatāwarahia, ā, horahia).
Notes
Thanks to Charlie Rahiri (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Pukenga) for this recipe.