Lamb Kofta Curry - Meat Ball Curry

Being a hardcore non-vegetarian family, I can’t believe that I have not posted any Non-veg recipe on my blog, though it is going to be full four months since starting this blog!!  Though I had the pictures taken couple of months ago, I couldn’t get hold of the recipe or just got too lazy to put it together!

Lamb Kofta Curry or Meatball Curry is my most memorable childhood favourite dish in the Non-vegetarian cuisines.  I remember my grandma preparing this almost every week since my grandpa loved it very much.  Every time I visit my grandma, she would ask me what would I like to eat and without a second thought I would say (in Tamil), “Kaima Kolumbu”  (Meatball Curry). Nowhere have I tasted the way my grandma would prepare.  Only person who can match the taste is my aunt (Mom’s sister).  Even my Mom’s recipe doesn’t turn out like that because Mom cooks with a strong masala base unlike my grandmas preparation which tastes subtle and creamy with a perfect blend of spices!! Hope to get the recipe when I visit her next. My son is blessed to have two precious gems in the form of Great Grandmas - one is my grandma and the other is hubby’s grandma. J  

What I have posted here is my Mom’s version that she had prepared when she visited us couple of months ago! She surprised me with this delicacy, when I went home after a long day at work that day!! The first thing that I did was gobble up two meat balls from the Kadai, without even bothering to wash my hands :P  and quickly took few pictures before it could vanish into our tummy J

This is a must try recipe and you can use ground Lamb/Beef/Chicken meat to prepare this dish! If you are a vegetarian, just replace meat with cooked veges and use the same masala! There you go….you didn’t miss out on tasting this Indian Delicacy J

Here goes the recipe……….

Ingredietns:

500 gms ground/minced meat

50 gm. / about ½ cup fried gram - powdered

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

3 big tomatoes

2 big onions

½ coconut grated/ about 1 cup

1 bunch coriander/Cilantro

3 tsp. Dhaniya powder

2 tsp. Chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

10 cloves / lavang

6-7 cinemon sticks (small) / 3-4 if it is big in size
2 tbls oil

Salt to Taste

How to prepare:

1.   Grind coconut, cloves, cinnamon, onions, Dhaniya powder, chili powder, ginger garlic paste and coriander leaves adding tomatoes instead of water into a fine paste.

2.   Halve the masala and mix one portion with minced meat in a mixer or by hand if the meat is ground finely by adding fried gram powder and salt to taste.

3.   Roll them into medium sized balls and set aside.

4.   Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a kadai and add the remaining masala and salt to taste. Sauté till oil separates and raw masala smell goes away. You can add little water at this stage if you want a thin gravy.

5.   Slowly add rolled koftas into the curry and cook covered for 15-20 minutes. Do not stir till the meatballs are cooked or they may break.

6.   Serve hot with rice/chapattis/bread.

YUMMY…….how simple is that! Just remembered there is stock of mince meat in the fridge and I got to go and prepare this quickly before I forget about it for another two months!! J

Points to Ponder:

“For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.”

                                                                                                                   Psalm 100:5

“And His mercy is on those who fear Him, from generations to generations.”

                                                                                                                  Luke 1:50

Kosambari - Soaked Moong Daal Salad

Kosambari is a salad made from soaked pulses (split legumes) seasoned with mustered and red chilis.  Usually Moong dal (Hesaru bele in Kannada) is used along with grated carrot and coconut in preparing this.  However, I have also heard split Bengal gram (Kadale bele in Kannda) is also used for this salad.  But I am yet to try the later version.  These salads can be eaten as snacks or it could be  part of a full course meal as served in Udupi Cuisine.   This makes a refreshing salad and cools down the body when you are not able to bear the heat of summer.  This is one of my most favourite salads to relish in summer J

I remember an incident when we were invited for lunch from our next door neighbour on a special occasion.  My husband is not a person who enjoys attending these functions. I was also not in the mood to attend since we had fellowship lunch at church that day and went home after eating some good Bhiryani.   Since the neighbour uncle was insisting so much that we attend,  hubby dear was waiting for me at home to attend the function.  My…..I was totally bewildered as I had already finished lunch and again was forced to go with him. Later I didn’t regret it because being the foodie I am, tasted some amazing vegetarian food prepared by the Uduppi cooks that day, though my tummy was full!!  As I tasted everything served on my plantain leaf Hubby was nudging and teasing me on every bite I took :P  But the best was yet to come, the Pheni dipped in Badam milk and Kulfi Ice cream in the tiny and cute matkas/mud pots were the best and of course we took them home since we / I was full to the brim and couldn’t hold it anymore!  Why I am recollecting this incident is because the Kosambari was also one of the items served on the menu and I relished every bite of it J

My Mom prepared this salad on the onset of summer, on one of those days, when the heat was unbearable.  Glad that weather in Bangalore has cooled down this week after receiving the much needed showers.  I have never complained about summer season until recently. But after getting used to the ever pleasant weather in Bangalore for a decade now, Phew, I am not able to bear the slightest heat!!  Indeed the city has spoilt me for sure J

Here goes the recipe………

Things you need:

200 grams Moong Daal / about 2 cups

1 large Carrot grated

½ cup Cucumber finely chopped

½ cup grated coconut

2-3 green chilies finely chopped

½ tsp pepper powder

Coriander/Cilantro – a hand full finely chopped

2 tsp lemon juice

For Tempering:

½ tsp Mustard

10-15 curry leaves

1 tbsp oil

2 Red chilies broken into halves

How to prepare:

1.      Soak moong daal in sufficient water for 2 hours. Rinse under running water, drain and transfer it to salad bowl.

2.      Add grated carrot, coconut and chopped cucumber, cilantro, green chilies to the salad bowl.

3.      Heat a small kadai or pan and add oil. Add mustered and let it crackle. Add curry leaves and halved red chilies, once done; add it to the salad bowl.

4.      Finally add salt, pepper powder and lemon juice and give it a good mix and serve.

Get ready to beat that scorching heat with this refreshing crunchy, juicy and flavourful Kosambari !!

Just like we go through different seasons of weather, we also to go through the seasons of life as these inspiring verses describes below!

Points to Ponder:

There is a time for everything,

A season for every activity under the heavens:

A time to be born and a time to die,

A time to plant and a time to uproot,

A time to kill and a time heal,

A time to tear down and a time build,

A time to weep and a time to laugh,

A time to mourn and a time to dance,

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

A time to search and a time to give up,

A time to keep and a time to throw away,

A time to tear and a time to mend,

A time to be silent and a time to speak

A time to love and a time to hate,

A time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8