How to Cook Kola Urundai Korma

Serves: 4-6

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 40 mins

Ingredients needed to make Kola Urundai Korma:

For the curry:

• 2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1/3 cup plain thick yogurt, beaten
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 5 whole cloves
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 ‘’ cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 3 green cardamom pods
• ¼ cup dessicated coconut
• 1/3 cup sunflower oil

For the meatballs:

• 800 gm lean ground lamb
• 2 tbsp cashew nuts, coarsely chopped
• ½ bunch fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
• 3 green chilies, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 egg
• ½ bunch cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
• ½ tsp fresh lime juice
• ½ tsp ground turmeric

For serving:

• Fried onions
• Fresh cilantro leaves

Cooking instructions for Kola Urundai Korma:

• Pour a cup of water in a bowl and soak the poppy seeds as well as dessicated coconut into it for 20 minutes.
• To make the meatballs, place all its ingredients in a bowl and stir them all together until well combined.
• Split the meat mixture into 20 equal portions and roll each of them into round balls.
• Dump the soaked mixture into a spice grinder, along with the soaking liquid and pulse it into a smooth paste; keep aside.
• Drizzle oil in a medium saucepan and heat it over moderate flame and toss the whole spices into it.
• Saute them for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until they give out a spicy fragrance and throw in the onions.
• Continue to sauté the mixture for 6-8 minutes, stirring from time to time, until it caramelizes.
• Stir in the garlic as well as ginger and stir fry for a couple of minutes or until the raw smell of the garlic disappears.
• Sprinkle a dash each of ground spices in a bowl, along with a splash of water and give it a nice stir to form a paste.
• Whisk the paste into sautéed mixture, along with the tomatoes and cook further for 5 minutes.
• Lower the heat and whisk in the yogurt until well combined.
• Scrap out the coconut paste into the simmering sauce and pour in a cup of water.
• Stir them all together and continue to simmer over slow flame for 5 more minutes, making a point that the yogurt doesn’t curdle.
• Adjust the seasonings and drop in the round meatballs.
• Stir until well coated, place a lid on top and continue to simmer over slow flame for 20-25 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
• Whisk in another cup of water gradually and cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the meatballs.
• Pour it into serving bowls and sprinkle the fried onions as well as cilantro leaves on top to garnish.
• Serve warm.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons