Prepare the meatballs
0 Heat a large pot or braiser pan on medium heat with 2 tbsp of olive oil- I recommend using the same pot you plan to cook the meatballs and potatoes in. Add the diced onions to the pan, and cook them for about 10-15 minutes until they brown, stirring together every couple of minutes.
1 Add the caramelized onions to a bowl with the ground beef, grated zucchini, parsley, cilantro, egg, breadcrumbs and spices. Mix well, then roll into gently flattened meatballs, you should get about 16-20 meatballs. Set aside while you prepare your sauce.
Start the sauce
3 In a small bowl, combine the grated tomatoes, date syrup and spices. Whisk together and set aside.
2 To the same pan you used for the onions, add 1/3 cup of oil. Once hot, add in the sliced onions. Stir together for about 5-6 minutes.
8 Add the meatballs back into the pan over the onions, then layer the potatoes in between the meatballs. If you have leftover zucchini, you can cut it into rounds and layer them between the potatoes.
4 Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs and potatoes, then pour the water into the pan. Top with a light drizzle of date syrup.
9 Cover the pan and bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 60 minutes. If the sauce is too runny, you can cook for an additional 20 minutes with the lid slightly ajar. Optional, but I like to set the pan uncovered under the broiler for 3 minutes at the end to brown the tops.
5 Garnish with chopped parsley when serving.
