Classic Izmir-style meatballs are baked with slices of potato and tomato in a tomato paste sauce. With meat, vegetables and sauce in one tray, this hearty home-style dish is ideal for mopping up with bread.
Put the ground meat, grated onion, squeezed bread crumb, egg, crushed garlic, cumin, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Knead for 15 minutes, until soft but cohesive.
Take walnut-sized pieces of the mixture and shape into long, finger-shaped meatballs between your palms. Heat two spoonfuls of oil in a pan and sear the outsides until colored, leaving the centers uncooked.
Arrange the meatballs in a baking pan, alternating with potato rounds and tomato slices. Tuck the long pointed green peppers into the gaps and lightly salt the potatoes.
Cook the tomato paste in the remaining one spoonful of oil. Add two 200 ml measures of hot water and stir. Pour the sauce over the ingredients in the tray to cover them all.
Cover the tray with foil and bake in an oven preheated to 190°C / 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the top is browned. Serve hot.
Important: knead the meatball mixture for at least 15 minutes so it holds together during cooking; it should form a cohesive lump in your hand. Too little sauce will leave the meatballs and potatoes dry, so add enough hot sauce to cover the ingredients in the tray. Contains bread crumb with gluten, milk and egg. Leftover meatballs keep in the fridge for 3 days. Contains no nuts.
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