Lamb Kofta Balls

Ingredients

• 450g minced lamb
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh, green coriander, very finely chopped
• 3 tbsp natural yogurt

For the sauce

• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2.5 cm cube ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 4 tbsp water, plus 300ml
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp bright red paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2.5 cm cinnamon sticks
• 6 cardamom pods
• 6 cloves
• 100g onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 100g tomatoes, peeled and chopped (a small can of tomatoes may be substituted)
• 4 tbsp natural yogurt
• 0.5 tsp salt

Method

1. To make the meatballs: Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs. Dip your hands in water whenever you need to and form about 30 meatballs. 

2. For the sauce, put the garlic and ginger into the container of a food processor or blender along with 4 tablespoons water. Blend until you have a paste. Put the paste in a bowl. Add the cumin, coriander, paprika and cayenne. Stir to mix. 

3. To make the sauce: Put the oil in a heavy, 23-25cm wide pan or frying-pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the cinnamon, cardamom pods and cloves. Stir them for 3-4 seconds. Now put in the onions and fry them, stirring all the time, until they are reddish-brown in colour. Turn the heat to medium and put in the paste from the bowl as well as the chopped tomatoes. Stir and fry this mixture until it turns a brownish colour. When it begins to catch, add 1 tablespoon of the yogurt. Stir and fry some more until the yogurt is incorporated into the sauce. Now add another tablespoon of yogurt. Incorporate that into the sauce as well. Keep doing this until you have put in all the yogurt. Now put in 300ml water and the salt. Stir and bring to a simmer. 

4. Put in all the meatballs in a single layer. Cover, leaving the lid very slightly ajar, turn heat to low and cook for 25 minutes. Stir very gently every 5 minutes or so, making sure not to break the meatballs. Towards the end of the cooking period, you should scrape the bottom of the pan just to make sure the sauce is not catching. If necessary, add a tablespoon or so of water. Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium-low. Stir gently and cook until the meatballs have a browned look. All the sauce should now be clinging to the meatballs and there should be just a little fat left at the bottom of the pan. 

5. When you are ready to eat, heat the koftas gently. Lift them out of the fat and shake off any whole spices that may be clinging to them. Stick a toothpick into each kofta if serving with drinks. 

6. If you have these koftas for dinner, you could leave more of a sauce. 

(From Madhur Jaffrey)

Piedmontese white bean soup

Piedmontese white bean soup

▪                30g butter

▪                2 tbsp olive oil

▪                60g pancetta or bacon, chopped

▪                1 clove garlic, sliced

▪                1½ onions, chopped

▪                1 fresh bay leaf

▪                1½ cups dried cannellini beans, soaked for at least 5 hours

▪                3 cups chicken stock

▪                salt and pepper

▪                80g taleggio cheese

▪                extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

A classic Italian bean soup from Piemonte - a real Italian staple. This is a hearty, sustaining soup with melted taleggio cheese, finished with extra virgin olive oil, that will keep you warm all afternoon.

Method

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot. Add the pancetta, garlic and onions and cook over a medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, until softened and golden brown. Add the bay leaf, drained cannellini beans and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, skim the surface, partly cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are soft, then season with salt and pepper.

Puree the soup. My tip to ensure the desired consistency: take about a cup of the liquid out and set it aside. Puree the soup and if it is too thick, simply add some of the reserved liquid.

Chop the taleggio into small pieces and stir into the soup.

To serve

Pour into individual bowls and finish with plenty of ground pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Serves: 4-6