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.