Ixta Belfrage's recipes for charutos with spicy tomato broth, and guava, curry and chilli meatballs

"Lebanese food is my go-to when I'm back in Brazil and I need a break from Brazilian food. My favourite Lebanese restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, Basha, makes the most incredible meat-stuffed cabbage rolls, charutos Libanais (which means Lebanese cigars and is the Portuguese name for the dish malfouf). They are served in a fragrant tomato broth and come with pimenta caseira (homemade hot sauce) and lime wedges to squeeze over, in a beautiful union of Lebanese and Brazilian cuisine that inspired today's first dish."

"For the filling 400g lamb mince 40g tomato puree/paste 15g fresh coriander, finely chopped brown onion (60g), peeled and grated 1 garlic clove, peeled and very finely grated or crushed tsp medium curry powder tsp dried mint tsp ground allspice 1 tsp fine sea salt About 50 twists cracked black pepper For the broth 15g tomato puree/paste tsp fine sea salt For the chard 250g rainbow chard, or Swiss chard 1 tbsp olive oil 1 scotch bonnet chilli, left whole 2 limes, halved"

Charutos Libanais are meat-stuffed cabbage rolls made with a spiced lamb filling combining tomato paste, coriander, grated onion, garlic, curry powder, dried mint, allspice, salt and cracked black pepper. Chard leaves are softened with boiling water, trimmed, and some stalks chopped into the filling. A fragrant tomato broth is prepared by whisking tomato paste with boiling water and salt. Garlic oil of olive oil, butter, finely chopped garlic and urfa chilli is finished with salt. Rolls are served in the tomato broth with pimenta caseira and lime wedges, blending Lebanese and Brazilian flavors.

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