Masala: meatballs in a minted coconut curry recipe
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SERVES 3–4
Ingredients
*2 tbsp coconut oil
*350g lamb meatballs (pack of 12)
*4 green cardamom pods
*1 medium onion, finely chopped
*4 garlic cloves, finely grated
*2.5cm fresh root ginger, finely grated
*1 tsp ground fennel
*1 tsp white pepper
*1 green chilli, finely chopped
*125ml hot water
*1 x 400ml tin coconut milk (at least 75% coconut)
*5–6 mint sprigs, leaves finely chopped, plus a few leaves to garnish
*Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Put the oil into a wok or sauté pan, place over a high heat and when hot, add the meatballs and quickly seal on all sides. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Drop the green cardamom pods into the pan. As they sizzle up, stir in the chopped onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 5 minutes until golden. If the ingredients start sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a couple of tablespoons of water and stir to loosen them.
3.Now, add the fennel, white pepper and chopped green chilli to the onion mixture. Sauté these for a couple of minutes, then pour in the hot water. Bring to the boil, stabbing the onions with your spoon to help them disintegrate. Stir in the coconut milk and chopped mint and then drop in the meatballs.
4. Lower the heat to medium and cook until oil oozes out of the curry and the meatballs are cooked. This will take 20 minutes.
5. To finish, add salt to your taste and top with mint leaves and a sprinkling of black pepper.
More from Masala:
Extract taken from Masala by Mallika Basu (Bloomsbury, £26) is out 31 May. Photography © Issy Croker
