Yogurt and Gram Flour Curry with Meatballs
This traditional Parsi dish features tender, marble-sized mutton meatballs simmered in a luxurious, tangy gravy made from thick yogurt and roasted gram flour. The sauce is deeply flavored with browned onions, aromatic ginger-garlic paste, and fresh green chilies, creating a rich and savory profile similar to a meat-based Kadhi. It offers a delightful contrast of textures between the succulent meat and the velvety, golden sauce, perfect for a comforting main course served with rice.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Firm Yogurt (Curd) (Originally '0.5 Sher'. Use thick, sour yogurt or Greek yogurt.)
- 1/2 pound Lean Mutton or Lamb (minced) (Originally '0.5 Ratal'. Finely minced.)
- 1/2 pound Onions (Originally '0.5 Ratal'. Finely chopped.)
- 1/2 cup Ghee (Originally '0.5 Sher'. Can reduce quantity for modern preference.)
- 1 tablespoon Ginger paste (Originally '0.5 Tola'. Freshly crushed.)
- 2 cloves Garlic (Originally '5 Val'. Crushed.)
- 1 cup Fresh Cilantro (Coriander leaves) (Originally '3 bunches leaves'. Chopped/ground.)
- 3 whole Large Green Chilies (Adjust to taste.)
- 4 tablespoons Gram Flour (Besan) (Originally '2.5 Tola'.)
- 2 teaspoons Salt (Originally '2 heaping spoons'. Adjust to taste.)
- 1 cup Water (Originally '1 Pasher'. Use cold water.)
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Instructions
- 1Peel and crush the ginger and garlic into a paste. Wash the cilantro leaves and green chilies thoroughly, then grind them together into a fine green paste. Peel the onions and chop them very finely.
- 2Take the minced meat and mix it thoroughly. While the original text references a separate kebab recipe, for this dish, season the meat with a pinch of salt and a small portion of the ginger-garlic paste. Roll the seasoned meat into small, marble-sized balls (koftas/kavab).
- 3In a heavy-bottomed pot (originally a tinned vessel), heat the ghee. Add the finely chopped onions and fry them until they turn a rich golden-brown color. Add the remaining ginger and garlic paste and sauté briefly. Then, add the gram flour (besan) and roast it in the ghee mixture, stirring constantly until fragrant and cooked through.
- 4Pour in the cold water and add the ground cilantro-chili paste. Stir to combine into a sauce. Gently place the prepared meatballs side-by-side into the liquid. Cover the pot and cook over low heat (originally 'on embers') until the meatballs are firm and fully cooked.
- 5Once the meatballs are set, mix the salt into the yogurt and whisk it well with a wooden spoon until smooth. Pour the yogurt mixture around the pot, swirling to incorporate it into the gravy. Heat gently until it just begins to bubble or simmer (kakro). Remove from heat immediately to prevent the yogurt from curdling. Serve hot.
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