Kashmir Kofta With Cardamom

Next to saffron, cardamom is the world's most expensive spice. It is the seed pods of a herbaceous perennial, a member of the ginger family, growing wild in the jungles of southern India and Sir Lanka; it is also cultivated commercially in many tropical countries. The dried seed pods are triangular or ovoid in shape and vary in colour from cream, through pale green to light brown; pale green pods, with small brownish-black seeds, have the better flavour. These can be stored in a dry form.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Cuisine: Asia, Indian

Courses: Mains

Servings: 4

Ingredients

454 g lamb (minced)
1 onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
4 chillies
rock salt
black pepper
Cinnamon (ground)
1 egg (large)
Flour (plain)
5 tbsp ghee (or oil, vegetable)
2 onions (sliced)
2 tbsp garam masala
568 ml coconut milk
Lemon (or lime, juice)
2 to 3 pods cardamom pods

Instructions

1
Combine the lamb with the chopped onion, garlic and chillies and season to taste with salt, pepper and cinnamon; lightly beat the egg, and add to bind the mixture. Roll the mince, between floured hands, into walnut sized, or golf balls.
2
Warm the ghee in a heavy bottom skillet and add the cardamom pods. Fry the meat balls until lightly browned all over. Remove them from the fat and leave them to drain on a couple of sheets of kitchen roll.
3
Fry the sliced onions in the remaining fat over a low heat until translucent, stir in the garam masala and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring all the time. Gradually blend in the coconut milk and simmer for a few minutes, then correct seasoning if required and, again, if required adjust the acidity of the sauce with lemon or lime juice to your liking.
4
Return the kofta balls to the sauce and simmer over a low heat for about 30 minutes; gently stir or shake the pan from time to time to prevent them from sticking. Remove the cardamom pods before serving the koftas with boiled rice and a side salad.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 4

Amount Per Serving
Calories 501.70kcal

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 38.83g60%
Saturated Fat 11.72g59%
Cholesterol 46.50mg16%
Sodium 130.79mg6%
Potassium 521.73mg15%
Total Carbohydrate 13.24g5%
Dietary Fiber 1.88g8%
Sugars 5.14g
Protein 25.20g51%

Vitamin C 2.73 mg
Calcium 326.65 mg
Iron 2.77 mg
Vitamin D 2.62 IU

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

To use, slice open the pods and scrape out the seeds which are used whole or ground in curries, rice, in pickles, mulled wine, in custards, in cakes and biscuits. Bedouin coffee, which is rather lovely is traditionally heavily flavoured with cardamom.