The Café Spice Cookbook: 84 Quick and Easy Indian Recipes for Everyday Meals (24 page)

Curried Chicken Meatball
Kofta Murg Masala

Use a smooth mince in this preparation to make the
kofta
(meatballs) smooth and full of flavor. This great, make-ahead recipe is perfect for a party or large crowd. Simple, easy, flavorful, and a crowd pleaser…you can’t go wrong with this one! I use ground chicken for these spicy fragrant meatballs, but you can use any other meat like beef, turkey, or lamb. If you have leftovers from dinner, use them in a wrap with some veggies and lettuce for the next day’s lunch.

Serves
4

Prep time:
25 minutes

Cook time:
30 minutes

1½ lbs (750 g) ground chicken

1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves and stalks (about 4 oz/125 g), chopped

2 onion (about 1.5 lbs/750 g), minced

¾ teaspoon Café Spice Garam Masala (page
22
)

2 tablespoons minced ginger

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 large egg, whisked

½ cup (45 g) dried bread crumbs

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons oil

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick, ½-in (1.25-cm)

2 tomatoes (about ¾ lb/350 g), finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato ketchup

3½ cups (875 ml) water

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon Asian red chili powder or cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons ground coriander

Salt, to taste

Combine the ground chicken, half the coriander leaves and stalks, half the onions, Garam Masala, half the minced ginger and garlic, egg, bread crumbs, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix well using your hands.

Dip your hands in water and form about 30 meatballs, each about the size of a golf ball. Placed on a prepared tray, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill.

Heat the oil in a large, deep nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the fennel seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, and remaining chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the finely chopped tomatoes and remaining ginger and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring over a medium heat until the oil comes to the surface, about 7–8 minutes. Add 1 cup (250 ml) of the water and continue cooking until all the water has evaporated. Stir-fry this paste for about 3 minutes and then add the ground spices and salt. Add the remaining water, cover, bring to a boil and simmer for 5–6 minutes.

Add the meatballs to the pan, cover, and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Shake the pan every so often, but do not stir, as the meatballs could break. Add the remaining coriander leaves and stalks, stir the meatballs gently. Serve hot.

Easy Lamb Curry
Masala Gosht

Lamb curry is an easy and flavorful dish that I usually make with bone-in loin chop. For this recipe however, I have called for a boneless leg of lamb to make it easier to eat. However, I do like a bone-in cut as the bones give extra flavor to the curry. This dish goes great with plain boiled or steamed rice. You may also serve this dish with any Indian breads such as Whole Wheat Griddle Bread (page
122
) or Naan Bread (page
121
). This version is quick and easy, and the addition of green chilies and coriander gives it extra zing.

Serves
6

Prep time:
15 minutes, plus 4 hours for marinating

Cook time:
30 minutes

½ cup (125 g) plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

4 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste (page
22
)

2 teaspoons Asian red chili powder or cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

2½ lbs (1 kg) boneless leg of lamb, cut into cubes, 1-in (2.5-cm)

3 tablespoons oil

3 red onions (about 1 lb/500 g) chopped

6 green cardamom pods

4 cloves

3 tomatoes (about 1 lb/500 g), finely chopped

10–12 curry leaves

3 teaspoons salt

3–4 cups (750 ml–1 liter) warm water

Put the yogurt, Ginger-Garlic Paste, red chili powder, turmeric, and 2 tablespoons of coriander leaves in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the meat to this mixture and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2–4 hours or overnight.

Heat the oil in a large, nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring until medium-brown, about 5–7 minutes. Add the cardamom pods and cloves and fry for 1 minute.

Add the meat with the marinade and cook for 8–10 minutes until the marinade is absorbed. Then sauté the meat, stirring continuously for about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Add the curry leaves and salt and warm water (depending on the consistency of gravy you require).

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lamb is tender and the sauce is thick, about 20–25 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with the remaining chopped coriander leaves.

Lamb and Spinach
Saagwala Gosht

Spinach and lamb make great winter comfort food. You can add homemade cottage cheese or paneer as well. I have used chopped spinach for texture and appearance in this recipe, instead of puréed spinach.

Serves
6

Prep time:
15 minutes, plus 4 hours for marinating

Cook time:
30 minutes

1 cup (250 g) plain yogurt, whisked to smooth

4 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste (page
22
)

2 fresh green chili peppers, minced

1 teaspoon Café Spice Garam Masala (page
22
)

2½ lbs (1 kg) boneless leg of lamb, cut into cubes, 1-in (2.5-cm)

¼ cup (65 ml) oil

1 cinnamon stick, ½-in (1.25-cm)

2 bay leaves

12 black cardamom pods

3 cloves

2 onion (about 1.5 lb/750 g), minced

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2¼ cups (565 ml) water

3 tomatoes (about 1 lb/500 g), finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons salt

4 cups (200 g) packed fresh spinach leaves, washed and chopped or 1½ cups (300 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)

Place the yogurt, Ginger-Garlic Paste, green chili peppers, and Garam Masala in a large bowl and mix well. Add the meat to this mixture and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2–4 hours or overnight.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, and cloves and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10–15 seconds. Add the onion. Sauté for 15 minutes over low to moderate heat.

Add the ground coriander and cumin and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add ¼ cup (65 ml) of the water and cook for another 2 minutes to ensure that the spices are cooked.

Add the meat along with its marinade, stir well, and cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes until the yogurt is absorbed. Sauté the meat for 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for another 2–3 minutes.

Add the remaining 2 cups (500 ml) of water and the salt. Turn the heat to low, cover with a lid, and leave to simmer for about 20–25 minutes until the lamb is tender. Add the chopped spinach and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes, uncovered.

When ready to serve, sprinkle with a little nutmeg powder and top with the butter, if using. Serve hot.

Lamb Shank Korma
Nalli Gosht Korma

Although, there are a lot of steps and ingredients in this recipe, the end result is well worth the trouble, and it tastes even better the next day (like all good curries should). You can vary the amount of chilies you use in this dish to keep it in line with your preferred amount of spice! Also, although this recipe calls for lamb shanks, you could very well use better cuts of meat; and the better the cut (be it a chop or a steak), the better the taste will be.

Serves
4

Prep time:
15 minutes

Cook time:
50 minutes

1 teaspoon saffron threads

1 tablespoon rosewater

½ cup (125 ml) oil

3 onions (about 2½ lbs/1 kg), thinly sliced

1 cup (100 g) slivered almonds

4 fresh green chili peppers, chopped

1 cinnamon stick, ½-in (1.25-cm)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

3 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste (page
22
)

4 lamb shanks, about 1 lb (500 g) each, trimmed of visible fat

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon Café Spice Garam Masala (page
22
)

Salt, to taste

2 teaspoons Asian red chili powder or cayenne pepper

1 cup (230 g) thick, Greek-style plain yogurt or sour cream

4 cups (1 liter) water

¾ teaspoon ground mace

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Juice of 1 lime

Soak the saffron strands in the rosewater for about 15–20 minutes.

Heat half the oil over medium-high heat in a large, thick-bottomed saucepan and stir-fry the onions until medium-brown. Add the almonds and continue to fry until the onions are deep brown, about 5–7 minutes. Using a spatula, extract the oil from the onions by pressing them against the side of the pot. Transfer the onions and almonds to a blender and purée to a smooth paste.

Heat the remaining oil and sauté the green chili peppers, cinnamon, cumin seeds, and Ginger-Garlic Paste until fragrant, 2–3 minutes. Turn up the heat, add the lamb shanks, and sear on all sides for about 3 minutes. Add the ground coriander, ½ teaspoon Garam Masala, the red chili powder, and the yogurt. Stir continuously for 3 minutes and leave to simmer until the yogurt is absorbed, about 10 minutes.