I got the idea to visit India, and this recipe in particular, from a TV food show, I admit. Nevertheless, this is one of the most involved and delicious recipes I could have tried. Some of the ingredients were tough to substitute, but the end product was a success. True to Kashmiri culture, I ate this dish with friends; piping hot with our fingers and seated on the floor.
Kashmir, India is in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, sharing borders with Pakistan and China. It has been known as an important center for Buddhism and Hinduism. One cultural practice in this region of India is a great feast known as a wazwan, in which a family cooks a meal of up to 35 separate dishes which take most of the night for their guests to consume! Traditionally, the meal consists of lamb cooked several ways and a whole slough of vegetable dishes. One important recipe in this feast is Gushtaba, spiced lamb meatballs cooked in a flavorful yoghurt gravy. I had no idea what I'd gotten myself into by seeing this dish come out on the television, but it was so worth it.
Recipe:
2 lbs ground lamb
mutton fat, if you can find it. I added a few Tbsp of beef fat I had from skimming homemade beef stock.
Olive oil (enough to fry/sear the meatballs and onions)
1-2 onions, sliced
2 tsp cardamon powder
salt to taste
4 cups mutton stock (or 1/2 beef to 1/2 chicken stock)
5 cups yoghurt (use plain, thick, Greek style yoghurt)
6-8 cloves
3 tsp fennel seed powder
3 tsp dry ginger powder
1 1/2 tsp minced ginger
4 Tbsp ghee (clarified unsalted butter)
1/4 tsp dry mint leaves
The fun began....
Fry/sautee your onions until they are soft and brown. Cool and grind them into a paste. In a bowl, thoroughly mix your ground lamb and fat (warming the fat can help it incorporate). Add 1 tsp cardamom powder and salt, continue to mix.
Form smallish meatballs called koftas (dip your hands in cool water to try to keep the meat from sticking to your paws) and sear them quickly in oil (optional). Remove and simmer them in the mutton (or other) stock for 15 minutes.
In another pan or bowl, add your yoghurt and 1/2 cup of cold water. Blend it well. It will begin to look curdled. Strain the mixture into a pan and place it on high heat. Immediately, add remaining cardamom powder (or 2-3 green pods if you have them), and up to 1Tbsp salt to taste. Stir continuously until it begins to change color (browning up a little). Add the fennel and ginger powder.
Dilute your onion paste and minced (as fine as possible!) garlic with a little stock, then add it to the yoghurt mix. Add your ghee or clarified butter. Continue to cook on high heat.
Remove the koftas from the stock and add those to the yoghurt mix but don't throw out that tasty stock! If you like, you can add some stock to the yoghurt mix, or freeze it to use for future soups or gravy. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, remove from heat, and add dried mint leaves to the top.
Serve over rice with plenty of the yoghurt gravy, and with any vegetable sides you wish (I served Paneer spinach-- delicious!).
