Kanda ti Nyma (Central African Meatballs)

The Central African Republic is one of the least-documented cuisines on our map, and I would rather cook the one dish nearly every source agrees on than guess at something fancier. Kanda is that dish. I want to learn the seed-binder technique: ground pumpkin seeds standing in for breadcrumbs is a Central African idea (egusi plays a similar role in Cameroon and Nigeria), and it makes a naturally gluten-free meatball with a texture I have not tasted. It is weeknight-feasible because meatballs plus a quick tomato sauce is a format we already know; the only new step is toasting and grinding the seeds, five minutes with a bag of pepitas from the baking aisle. The chile goes in whole, so the sauce stays mild for my son and the heat is the adults' decision.

• Raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas): The hulled green kind, in the baking or snack aisle. Toast lightly and grind to a fine meal; they replace breadcrumbs and egg entirely.
• Ground beef, 85 percent lean: Leaner beef makes dry meatballs, since there is no bread to hold moisture. With 90 percent, add a tablespoon of oil to the mix.
• Tomato paste plus fresh tomatoes: The sauce is thin and bright compared with an Italian ragù; the paste gives color and body without a long simmer.
• A whole habanero: Simmered unbroken for perfume; chopped only if you want the dish properly spicy, as it is often served.
• Fresh parsley: Recipes consistently call for parsley in the meat, which keeps the pumpkin-seed flavor fresh rather than heavy.

1. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, 4–5 minutes until they puff and smell nutty. Cool 5 minutes, then grind in a food processor or spice grinder to a fine, slightly sandy meal; stop before it turns to paste.
2. Finely dice one onion; set half aside for the sauce. Mince 2 garlic cloves for the meat and 2 for the sauce. Chop 1/2 cup parsley.
3. Combine the beef, 1 cup of the ground pumpkin seeds, half the diced onion, the garlic for the meat, the parsley, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add 3 tablespoons cold water and mix by hand until it holds together like a soft dough. Roll into 15 golf-ball-sized meatballs and chill 10 minutes while you make the sauce.
4. Slice the second onion thin. Chop the tomatoes, or drain the can. Dissolve the bouillon cube in 1 1/2 cups hot water.
5. Start the rice: rinse 1 1/2 cups rice and cook with 2 1/4 cups water and a pinch of salt by the package timing.

1. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and the reserved diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook 6 minutes until soft and golden. Add the remaining garlic and the tomato paste and stir 1 minute.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes until they soften and the sauce thickens slightly. Pour in the bouillon water, add the whole chile, and bring to a boil.
3. Lower the meatballs into the sauce in one layer. Let it return to a strong simmer for 3 minutes, then reduce to medium, cover, and cook 10 minutes.
4. Uncover, turn the meatballs gently, and simmer 12–15 minutes more until the sauce has reduced to a thick coating and the meatballs are firm and cooked through (160°F). Shake the pan rather than stirring so they stay whole.
5. Stir the remaining 1/4 cup ground pumpkin seeds into the sauce and simmer 2 minutes to thicken. Remove the chile. Season with salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

Spoon rice onto each plate and set the meatballs on top with plenty of sauce, finishing with chopped parsley; in Bangui the starch would often be gozo, the cassava paste, but white rice is the usual stand-in. The sauce as written is gently warm, so my son's plate is the same as ours, and the softened chile sits on a saucer for anyone who wants to mash some in. Leftover kanda keep three days and reheat well in their sauce; they are also good cold in a sandwich.