“Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you!”
Tommy Smothers
Kashmiri cuisine or Wazwan has always held a fascination for me by way of how different it tastes. The other day I found an interesting sounding recipe for Mutsch Kashmiri Meatballs at A Mad Tea Party. After browsing the write-up, right up to the last 2 meatballs et al, the mind was made up. This I just had to try, & promptly put it on my agenda of interesting ‘must-makes’ in the near future! Hesitatingly, with fingers crossed, I even used mustard oil as the recipe suggested. I made this dish a couple of days ago…it was very different & pleasing in taste; surprisingly simple to make . The last 2 meatballs were indeed at a premium!!
Love the palette of colours the ingredients made!
Must admit that when I read about the ‘Grindless Gravies’ , SRA’s blog event at ‘When My Soup Came Alive’, I thought, NAH, impossible!! All my cooking life gravies have meant plenty of grinding & work in general. The only one I have ever tried that was grindless was Chicken Tikka Masala which I had already posted a while ago. In any case, I pushed it to the back of my mind & thought maybe one day I shall try. How wrong I was!! This Kashmiri recipe qualifies to the ‘G’ for Grindless Gravies! I used the pestle to crush the fennel, and the magical microplaner for the garlic. Surprisingly, the recipe called for no onions, tomatoes, yogurt etc, and the gravy ‘happened‘ on its very own while simmering!
The recipe as adapted from ‘A Mad Tea Party’
Ingredients:
Meatballs
Lamb mince – 500 gms
Paprika (degi mirch) – 1 tbsp / heaped
Fennel (saunf) powder – 1 1/2 tbsp /heaped
Dry ginger powder (sonth) – 1 tsp
Garlic – 2 cloves / grated
Cloves – 2 / grated in a nutmeg grater
Black cardamon – 2 /seeds crushed
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Mustard oil – 4 tbsp ( couldn’t bring myself to use 5)
Salt to taste
Cloves – 2
Black Cardamom – 2 / seeds crushed in pestle & mortar
Bay leaves – 2-3
Mustard oil – 1 tbsp
Paprika (degi mirch) – 1 tbsp
Coriander powder (dhania) – 1 tbsp / heaped
Fennel seeds (saunf) – 2 tsps / heaped
Dry ginger powder (sonth) – 1 tsp / heaped
Salt to taste
Garam Masala Powder – 1 tsp
- Put the mince in a deep bowl.
- Add all the dry spices + garlic + mustard oil. Mix well.
- Gently shape into small sausage type shapes (will try round balls like koftas/meatballs the next time).
- Place them on a platter/thali & leave to rest for about 30 minutes. (I made about 22 meatballs).
- Now take a large flat non-stick pan. Heat 1 tbsp oil to smoking point.
- Add the cloves + bay leaf + coriander powder + fennel + dry ginger powder.
- Reduce heat, add the paprika, stir the spices, roast them for a minute, then quickly add a cup of water.Take care that the red chillies don’t burn.
- Add the crushed cardamom seeds, increase the heat to medium, & gently lower the meatballs into the pan. Shake the pan gently to immerse them into the gravy & move them around.
- Cover & simmer for about 45 minutes, by which time the gravy will be reduced & the meatballs cooked.
- Sprinkle garam masala & serve hot with rotis/parathas/naan/rice.
Enjoy the taste of a ‘Grindless Gravy’!!
Oh my goodness, every time I see a recipe for lamb I want it at that very moment…no matter the time of day, or if I’m hungry or full. You are very good at describing the dishes and making them sound irresistible!
How would they taste with beef? I wanna make meatballs tonight but I don’t have any lamb 🙁
Ah, so you concur on the taste and the premium on the last two pieces! Even mustard oil! 😀 These are looking every bit authentic!
Hey Meeso,I’ve got another really nice & easy & grindless lamb recipe. Its on the bone.Made it last night, & it was polished clean!!
Guess they should be OK Ben. Tell me if you get there. :0)
Without doubt Anita. Thanks for posting the recipe on your blog!
Hi, thanks for the entry. One of the few non-veg ones I’ve got. I’m quite amazed at the gravy “happening”, considering it’s just a few masala powders. I have a microplane zester too, don’t use it so much but now that you’ve mentioned the garlic, think I’ll use it for that!