1. For the meatballs,combine the spices and chilli flakes in a bowl. Reserve half the spice mixture for the sauce.
2. Add the remaining spice mixture to a large bowl with the remaining meatball ingredients,aside from the oil. Use your hands to thoroughly incorporate,then roll the mixture into golf-sized balls.
3. Place a frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil,and once hot,brown the meatballs on all sides,about 2 minutes. Gently remove the meatballs from the frying pan.
4. For the sauce,add the onion to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes or until soft. Add the leftover spice mix as well as the roughly ground cumin and coriander seeds and cook for another minute or until the onion is coated in the spices and becomes fragrant.
5. Add the stock and crushed tomatoes and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and reduced by about a third.
6. Add the sugar and salt,then return the meatballs to the sauce and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until the meatballs have cooked through. Gently stir through the beans and cook for another few minutes so the beans warm through.
7. Remove from heat. Add the herbs and the feta. Season with salt and pepper. This is great with rice or with piping hot flatbreads to swipe through the sauce.
Tip:If you didn't want to collect the spices listed in this recipe from the depths of your cupboard,Herbies spices does a spectacular Persian spice blend. If you get your hands on that,this dinner is really 1,2,3 and done. It's a worthy and speedy shortcut.
*I suggest veal stock for this because no matter the brand,it tends to be thicker,silkier and more unctuous than other stocks.