Indian Lamb Meatball Recipes

NORTHERN INDIAN LAMB MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Process garlic, ginger, and 1 1/2 teaspoons water in a food processor until a chunky paste forms; set aside.
• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion; cook, stirring, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Set aside one quarter of onion in a large bowl.
• Add 1 tablespoon garlic paste, 1/2 cup water, the turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, and 2 tablespoons coriander to onion in skillet. Cook 3 minutes, stirring. Add tomato sauce, 1 1/2 cups water, and the bay leaf. Season with salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer.
• Mix reserved onion, lamb, breadcrumbs, cilantro, egg, 1 teaspoon each garlic paste and salt, and remaining teaspoon coriander and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Divide into 24 pieces; roll into balls. Stuff each meatball with a prune quarter; roll to enclose.
• Add meatballs to simmering sauce (add water if meatballs are not covered by sauce). Cook until sauce has thickened, about 40 minutes. Stir in garam masala.

LAMB MEATBALLS WITH INDIAN CURRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Start the rice if making.
• Place ground lamb, shallot, garlic, salt, garam masala and mint in a bowl and mix well, using your hands. Using wet hands, form into 1 ½ inch wide balls. ( about 10 meatballs)
• Heat a large skillet with olive oil. Begin searing the lamb meatballs, until most sides are nicely browned, about 10 minutes. ( You can finish cooking them through in the sauce, so just brown them at this point)
• At the same time you could start the sauce ( or wait and use the same pan).
• Heat ghee in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook two more minutes. Add all the spices and then the tomato and its juices. Cook 1 minutes. Add the coconut milk and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes. Add the sugar, salt and cayenne. Taste and adjust salt and heat.
• Add the lamb meatballs to the sauce, coating well. Simmer gently until the lamb meatballs are cooked through ( 5-10 minutes). Serve over your choice of rice, cauliflower rice, or baby spinach.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Steps:

• 1 In a large bowl, mix together the lamb, paneer, half of the mint, bread crumbs, egg, 1 tablespoon garlic, ginger, 2 teaspoons garam masala and 1 teaspoon salt. 2 Roll the mixture into 16 meatballs; arrange meatballs on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. 3 Broil the meatballs about 4 inches from the heating element, turning occasionally, until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. 4 In a large heavy pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste and chili powder; cook, stirring often, until tomato paste has darkened and onion is soft, 6 to 8 minutes. 5 Add remaining garlic, turmeric, and cumin; cook, stirring often, until the bottom of the pot begins to brown, about 4 minutes. 6 Add tomatoes and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt; stir to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. 7 Add the meatballs; bring to a simmer. Cook at a gentle simmer until sauce the thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. 8 Stir in remaining mint and garam masala. Serve the meatballs and sauce over rice with mint and almonds to garnish.

LAMB MASALA MEATBALL CURRY

Steps:

• Put all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and use your hands to combine everything together. Roll into about 16 balls, cover and chill until needed.
• Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over a gentle heat and fry the onion, ginger and spices for 10 mins until the onions are softened. Tip in the tomatoes and a splash of water, and bring to the boil over a high heat. Drop in the meatballs and reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 15 mins or until the meatballs are cooked. Mix through the yogurt, scatter over the coriander and serve with rice or naan bread.

CURRIED LAMB MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Salt and pepper the lamb, then mix and form into little balls.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet and start browning the meatballs.
• Slice the peppers and onion thinly and add to the browning meatballs. Shake the pan or stir every so often to brown the meatballs all over.
• When the meatballs are brown and the peppers and onions have softened slightly, add the butter and curry powder. Stir again and add the tomato sauce.
• Stir again and cover with a lid, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove lid, stir in the spinach and cilantro and simmer 5 minutes.
• Serve with steamed basmati rice.

PERSIAN-INSPIRED MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine lamb, bread crumbs, scallions, mint, advieh, dill, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add beaten eggs; knead by hand until smooth and sticky. Cover and refrigerate until flavors blend, at least 30 minutes.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Form the lamb mixture into 1-inch balls. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Mist the tops with cooking spray.
• Broil in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet and broil for 3 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 140 degrees F (60 degrees C).
• Brush the meatballs with pomegranate molasses as soon as they come out of the oven.

MASALA MEATBALL CURRY

Steps:

• Place the garlic, chilli, bread and mint in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Tip into a bowl and mix with the lamb, egg and seasoning. using damp hands, shape into 16 small meatballs.
• Heat half the vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Fry the meatballs in batches over a high heat until golden, then set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, add the onion and cook for 3-4 mins until beginning to soften. Add the curry paste and fry for 1 min, then tip in the tomatoes and stock and bring to a simmer.
• Add the meatballs and simmer for 15 mins until the sauce is thickened. Stir through the spinach until just wilted. Scatter over the reserved mint leaves, and serve with rice and cucumber & mint raita, if you like.