Appetizer

To finish off a big plate of steamed basmati rice or flat breads, let us learn how to prepare meatball curry. Meatball curry is prepared by frying minced meat balls in hot oil and then immersing these fried balls in a prepared curry sauce. In India, meatballs are called as Kofta. Hence this curry is also known by the name Kofta curry. Meatballs are prepared and shaped to the size of gooseberries.

This is an easy to go recipe of meatballs, which can be prepared under 40 minutes. Once prepared, I bet this will become your family favorite in no time. Meatballs absorb all the flavors from the curry sauce when they are immersed and cooked in it. This recipe serves 2 to 3 persons.

You can use keema of your choice. Chicken, lamb(mutton), beef or pork can be used to prepare this side dish. To make a flavored recipe of meatball curry, we use spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and curry powders. Adding fresh cream and butter makes this an amazing dish.

Mix all the ingredients to prepare meatball in a bowl. Using hands, mix well everything and form round shapes using this mixture. Do not overmix the ground ingredients as the meatballs may turn tough. Smearing little oil in your palm helps to make the balls easier. Once you finish shaping the meatballs, heat oil in a kadai and fry all the meatballs and keep it aside.

Then to the same oil, we are adding spices, onion and tomatoes. Once they are cooked, keep it for cooling. Then using a mixture ground them to a fine paste and keep aside. Then to the remaining oil add onions and saute till golden brown. Then add ground paste followed by curry powders. Keep the flame low. Add sufficient water to the mix and then add the fried meatballs when the curry simmers. Cover and cook the meatballs in low flame for 8 to 10 minutes. The flavor from the curry sauce gets deep inside the meatballs which makes it juicy and tender.

After adding the meatballs, make sure you do not over stir the curry. The meatballs may break if proper care is not taken. The gravy consistency completely depends on you. You can add more water if you need more gravy. Lesser water makes the curry thicker. Garnish the curry with kasuri methi and chopped coriander leaves.

Ingredients :

1. Preparing meat balls

1. Minced beef – 250 g
2. Finely chopped ginger – 1/2″ piece
3. Finely chopped garlic – 4 pods
4. Green chilli – 1
5. Coriander leaves, chopped – 2 tablespoon
6. Onion chopped – 1
7. Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
8. Pepper powder – 1/4 teaspoon
9. Kashmiri chilli powder – 1/4 teaspoon
10. Garam masala – 1/4 teaspoon
11. Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
12. Oil – to fry

2. Preparing ground paste

1. Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
2. Cardamom – 2
3. Cloves – 2
4. Cinnamon stick – 1″ piece
5. Onion chopped – 1 medium sized
6. Tomato chopped – 1 medium sized
7. Green chilli slit – 1
8. Salt – 1/2 teaspoon

3. Preparing gravy :

1. Onion chopped – 1/2 of 1 onion
2. Kashmiri chilli powder – 1/2 teaspoon
3. Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
4. Garam masala – 1/4 teaspoon
5. Water – 1.5 cups
6. Cashew nuts, soaked in water – 5
7. Grated coconut – 2 tablespoon
8. Fresh cream – 2 tablespoon
9. Sugar (optional) – 1/2 teaspoon
10. Butter – 1 teaspoon
11. Salt – as required
12. Coriander leaves, chopped – 1 teaspoon
13. Kasuri methi – 1 teaspoon

Method of preparation :

1. Preparing meatballs

• Take a large mixing bowl and add minced meat to it.
• Add ginger, garlic, onions, tomatoes, green chilli and coriander leaves.
• Add turmeric powder, kashmiri chilli powder, pepper powder and salt to the bowl.
• Mix well everything and using hands make small balls of this mixture in the shape of a gooseberry.
• Heat oil in a kadai, fry all the minced meat balls till golden brown and then keep it aside.

2. Preparing ground paste

• Take another kadai and add 2 tablespoon of the hot oil which was used for frying the meat balls.
• Add cumin seeds followed by cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
• Then add chopped onions, salt  and green chilli slit.
• Once the onion changes it’s colour to golden brown, add tomatoes.
• When tomatoes are cooked completely, switch off the flame.
• Transfer the cooked ingredients to a mixer, leaving the remaining cooked oil in kadai and grind them to a fine paste and keep aside.

3. Preparing gravy :

• To the same kadai which contains the oil used for making paste, add chopped onions.
• Once the onion changes its colour, add the ground paste to the kadai.
• Then add kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala.
• When the oil comes out on the sides of kadai, add 1.5 cups of water to it.
• As the water starts boiling, add the fried meat balls to the curry.
• Cover and cook the meat balls in low flame for 8 minutes.
• Grind the cashewnuts and grated coconut to a fine paste and add this paste to the boiling curry.
• Add fresh cream, sugar and butter.
• Taste the curry and add salt as required.
• Garnish the curry with coriander leaves and kasuri methi.
• Serve this delicious curry with rotis, chapatis, naan, special rices, etc.