Indian Meatballs

Meatballs Indian

This week I made for my family an Indian style meat ball called Beef Koftas.  I love Indian  food, I love how very fragrant Indian food is.. I just inhale and there is such an aromatic scent.  Indian food is known for all the different spices and herbs they use and these meatballs live up to the reputation of Indian food.. I am not sure how authentic they are, first of all, most Indians are Hindu and these are made of beef, though you can make them with lamb.  I do not make these with potato, because my husband can not have them.

I serve these with rice because I have never had any luck making Nan bread which is traditional, and I make a light fennel slaw to go with it.  The slaw's recipe will follow.

Beef Koftas

Ingredients

Makes about 10 good size balls

1 lb ground beef ( you can use ground lamb)

2 T fresh grated ginger ( in a pinch I use dried)

2T minced garlic

1 t of cayenne pepper or 4 T finely chopped green chiles ( spice to taste)

1 small onion chopped

1 egg

½ t Tumeric

1 t garam masala ( this is an very common Indian spice mixture)

1 cup chopped cilantro

1 T mint (or fresh)

Salt to taste

Veg. oil

1.       Cook the onions until softened.  Then mix first 11 ingredients  in a bowl and  if possible let rest for at least 20 minutes.

2.       Form them into balls, I made them bigger than golf balls. And fry them in vegetable oil for about 10 minutes on medium heat, drain  and serve.

Fennel Coleslaw

This is a really nice and light slaw to go with your meatballs.

2 bulbs of Fennel

2 scallions

½ white cabbage

1 stalk celery

1 carrot grated

½ caraway seed

1T cilantro

3T extra-virgin olive oil

1t lemon

1.       Cut fennel, scallions, cabbage and celery into thin slices. 

2.       Mix into the fennels, scallions, cabbage and celery the carrots, and cilantro.

3.       Mix together the caraway, olive oil and lemon and pour onto salad mixture.

4.       Let rest for 3 hours.