These meatballs are both savory and sweet, with rich delicious pork and chopped dates combining with a flurry of exotic and flavorful middle eastern spices. When you pair them with some roasted lemony broccolini and a tart and tangy yogurt dipping sauce, you have the perfect dinner in just about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, mix together the curry powder, salt, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, red curry powder, za'atar seasoning, aleppo pepper, cumin, and ginger and set aside.
In a large bowl mix together the pork, chopped dates, onion, eggs, and olive oil until combined. Add the spice mixture in 3 increments, mixing well before each addition.
Form the mixture into 12 balls (about 4.5 to 5 ounces each), and pat each one gently so that it is slightly wider than it is tall. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about 1-inch of space between each one. Bake in the oven until the juices run clear and the interior temp of the biggest meatball is 145 degrees Fahrenheit, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the bottom 1-inch off the broccolini and compost it. Toss the broccolini in a large bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper until coated.
Spread them out on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 400 degrees until wrinkled slightly and the very tips are a bit crispy, about 10 minutes (they can roast in the oven with the meatballs on another rack in your oven).
Remove them from the oven, and drizzle with the lemon juice before serving.
In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, and salt until combined. Serve with the meatballs and the roasted broccolini.