lamb koftas [meatballs]

Lamb koftas, or chhote kofte, are traditional Indian meatballs, and can be served as an appetizer or part of a main course.  We enjoyed these intensely flavorful bites of lamb as part of an Eat. Pray. Love. Party that my Mom and I hosted a short time ago.

For more Eat. Pray. Love. recipes, read about our day-long foodie adventure through Bali, India, and Italy.

lamb koftas

makes 30 meatballs

for the meatballs
1 lb ground lamb

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped

3 tbsp plain yogurt

for the sauce

5 cloves garlic, peeled

1 in cube fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 tbsp + 10oz water or homemade beef stock

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

5 tbsp coconut oil

1 in cinnamon stick

6 cardamom pods

6 cloves

1/2 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 cup tomatoes, peeled and diced

4 tbsp plain yogurt

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

a few generous spoonfuls of butter, ghee or other heat stable fat

Make the meatballs.  Prepare a clean surface with parchment paper.  Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and incorporate with hands.  Form 30 1" round meat balls and set each on the parchment paper.

Make the sauce.  Place ginger, garlic and 4 tbsp water/stock in a food processor.  Process into a smooth paste.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in cumin, coriander, paprika and cayenne.  Set aside.

In a large 9-10" wide pan, heat the fat over medium-high heat.  When hot, add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.  Stir for 5 seconds.  Add onion and saute until caramelized, about 5 minutes.

Turn the heat to medium and add paste and tomatoes.  Stir for 1-2 minutes.  One tbsp at a time, add the yogurt, incorporating each tbsp before adding the next.  Once all of the yogurt has been incorporated, add the remaining water/stock, stir, and bring to a simmer.

Place the meatballs in the pan, spreading them out to make one layer.  Cover with a lid, leaving it slightly ajar, and turn the heat to low.  Cook for 25 minutes, gently stirring every 5 minutes or so.  If the sauce begins to stick, add a tbsp of water/stock.  

When the 25 minutes are up, turn the heat to medium-high and brown the meatballs on all sides.
Transfer meatballs and sauce to a platter or wide bowl and serve immediately.  If not serving immediately, reheat gently just before serving.  These can also be kept warm for a party in a crock-pot on the "warm" setting.

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking