Lamb Kofta in Yogurt-Onion Gravy

I was vegetarian for the first sixteen years of my life, being born into a vegetarian family. Once I started eating meat, I took to it like a duck to water..however, that doesnt mean I cant do without it. One of the joys of growing up in a culture that respects its meats as much as its vegetables is having a deep appreciation for both.

Meatballs or kofte (plural of kofta) are probably found in every meat eating culture. In this recipe, you are looking for delectable silky textured meat with a delicate anise/fennel/saunf flavour. The Kashmiris are particularly fond of fennel/saunf and dried ginger flavours. They are also reputed to be masters of the meatball - they call it gushtaba or rista. It is one of the major components in a traditional Kashmiri banquet called Wazwan. This website contains some very authentic looking recipes http://www.koausa.org/Cookbook/.

I buy lamb mince for this recipe and it is fairly easy. The gravy is also interesting and a nice change from Mughlai gravies.

If the recipe looks complicated, well lots of good things in life take effort and attention to detail. The multiple stages and methods of cooking all reward you with complexity in flavour and texture. That said, this recipe is actually fairly low on effort.

Ingredients for the meatballs:

lamb mince* - 1 pound

fennel seeds/saunf - 1 tbsp

cumin/jeera - 1 tbsp

garam masala -1 tsp

cilantro

bread crumbs** - 3 tbsp

a tablespoon of minced ginger

a tablespoon of minced garlic

red chilli powder/cayenne powder

bay leaves, black cardamom

*if you cant find lamb mince, you can produce your own by buying shoulder or leg meat, cubing it and mincing it in the food processor. The fattier the meat, the juicier and yummier the meatball. In fact in Kashmiri recipes, lamb fat is beaten into the meat to make the meatball.

**always unflavored panko

Method

Grind the fennel seeds and cumin fine. Add this to the lamb mince along with all the other ingredients. Season with salt. Gently combine - kneading with gusto will result in meatballs the consistency of tennis balls.

Set a pot of water to boil. Add bay leaves and black cardamom. Do not salt the water, the meatballs already have the salt they need.

Form the lamb mince into loose balls, again, dont apply any unnecessary pressure. Slide them into the broth. Turn the heat to medium-low. You want to maintain a rolling boil.

In half an hour, drain the meatballs and reserve the broth.

Ingredients for the gravy

two medium onions sliced thin and long

two cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

ghee/oil

yoghurt

red chilli powder/cayenne powder

paprika

cilantro for garnish

Method

Heat a couple of tablespoons of ghee/oil or a mixture thereof in a wide pan. Add the onions and sprinkle with salt and sugar. Cook on medium heat , add the garlic in ten minutes and continue to cook till the onions are thoroughly browned. This means you have to stir it so that the onions dont blacken but brown evenly. The salt and sugar aid this caramelisation process. There is nothing quite like the sweet yet savoury taste of slowly browned onions.

Leaving any oil in the pan, transfer the onions and garlic to a blender. Puree and reserve.

Add the meatballs to the pan and brown evenly on all sides. I suppose you could skip this step, but it adds a whole other dimension to the meatballs.

Transfer the onion puree back into the pan. Add cayenne pepper/chilli powder and paprika. The paprika adds colour and the chilli powder adds heat. I put in 2 teaspoons of mild paprika and a teaspoon of chilli powder. Ofcourse, what proportion you add is upto you. Stir. Add enough broth to cover the meatballs. Salt the gravy to taste and being to rolling boil.

Working in one corner of the pan, whisk a cup of yoghurt into the gravy. This is to keep the yoghurt from splitting and to keep the gravy homogeneous. Cover and let it go for about half an hour. Check and adjust seasoning/thickness of gravy. I personally like the gravy here a little runny, all the better to soak up with rice.

Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with rice.

Paneer Paratha and Pahadi Raita

I love parathas of ever kind - the best I have ever had were from a roadside dhaba in a small town in rural Rajasthan (my university town - Pilani). On cold winter days we would skip the mess and head to the Paratha Dhaba, along with all the truckers, for Mooli/Alu/Gobhi paratha. It looked pretty much like the picture..unappetising, I know, but one taste of the parathas and oh man! They usually just came with yoghurt and some achar/pickle.

Last night for dinner I made paneer paratha and raita to go with it.

The dough

It takes about 2 rounded tablespoons of atta (whole wheat flour) to make one paratha. Put as much as you need in a wide bowl and add a little bit of water at a time to make a tight dough. You only need as much water as will make it come together. Knead till smooth and put it aside, covered, for about an hour. This is for the gluten to develop - to develop that crucial stretch in your dough.

The filling

Crumble the paneer with your fingers. Again about two tablespoon of filling per paratha, as you filling will compress.

Chop a small quantity of onion and green chillies fine. To this add a generous quantity of finely chpped ginger and garlic. You really dont want any pieces fo ginger or garlic floating around.

Saute these in pan with a little bit of oil till soft and aromatic. Add a cautious amount of garam masala, swirl in pan to gently toast and drwa out the aromatic oils.

Add the onion mixture to the paneer. Also add a liberal amount of finely chopped coriander. Salt to taste. By that I mean, actually taste the filling to see if you got it right. Once it is in the paratha, the horse has fled the barn.

Method

There are essentially two epiphanies on the road to yummy parathas - the more filling the better and paratha is not a low-fat food.

So, your aim should be to really fill those suckers up and to fry them in as much ghee/oil as your conscience will allow.

My method to really get a ton of stuffing in there is two-step. This also greatly improves my work flow. I first make stuffed balls, roll them out and fill them again.

Make a lime sized ball of your dough. Working in your hand and

pinching the edges with your fingers, make a vague cup shape,

as in the picture. Now fill this cup with as much filling as it will take. (Be brave - the dough will strecth and holes can be patched.) Close it up and roll into a smooth ball. Finish the rest of your dough.

Do not be afraid of the filling leaking out. This will happen and is a good thing. Miraculously, or through the magic of gluten and dough, your paratha will hold together. You want yummy bits of paneer filling frying up in the pan.

The next step is the frying. You should by now have a hot, dry pan. Slap on your masterpiece paratha. In about a minute or so, flip it. The side facing you should have pale brown spots. Baste this side with oil/ghee/mixture of both. As I said, let your conscience and potbelly be your guide. Flip again, the oiled side will now be sizzling on the pan, filling your kitechn with paratha aromas. Baste the dry side. One more flip and you should be looking at something like this:

Take off the pan, wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm. Oh wait, be sure to taste the first one - more filling? less filling? some salt sprickled on the paratha?

Serve with plain (full-fat) yoghurt or raita and pickle.

Pahadi Raita

I am married to a Kumaoni - people from Kumaon, a beatiful mountainous region at the foothills of the Himalayas. Now a part of the state of Uttaranchal, the major cities are Nainital, Almora and Ranikhet.

One of the signature dishes of Kumaoni cuisine is this raita. In its authentic version, it is made with hemp/bhaang seeds. Not wanting to get deported on drug charges, I make it with mustard seeds. I absolutely love the unique spiciness that mustard seeds give. Grinding them and letting them soak in the curd/yoghurt, as in this recipe, really brings this out. So beware, dont go nuts, you will fumes coming out of your nose.

Ingredients

2 small Persian cucumber*/half a regular large cucumber

a cup of yoghurt

a teaspoon of cumin seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons of black mustard seeds

salt, sugar

Grind the cumin/jeera and mustard seed fine. I use my mortar and pestle, it is surprisingly easy.

Grate the cukes and try to get rid of any seeds. Combine the cucumber, spice powder, yoghurt, some salt and a pinch of sugar in a bowl. Whisk till smooth. Add water to loosen to your desired consistency. Taste, adjust seasoning and stash in the fridge till your ready to eat. The mustard seeds will develop their pungency gradually. About an hour or so should do it.

Variations : Sometimes, I grind a bit of black pepper in. Coriander is a great addition. Grated carrots work fine instead of or in addition to the cucumbers.