Have you ever heard of Lamb Kofta with Tomato-Yogurt Sauce? It is a popular dish from northern India. The locals eat it with naan or pita bread, but we were a bit lazy this time and used tortilla bread from the supermarket.
The main distinction between traditional Swedish meatballs and Kofta is the level of spiciness and spices. Of course, lamb imparts its unique flavour to the meatballs. In addition to chilli, the tomato sauce contains cinnamon, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, cardamom, and cumin. Thick yoghurt adds richness to the sauce while also tempering the chilli intensity.
This dish goes well with the Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Pasta. Enjoy some authentic northern Indian street food!
Lamb Kofta with Tomato-Yogurt Sauce
Print RecipeIngredients
- 750 grams of minced lamb
- 1 piece of onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- Thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
- A handful of fresh coriander
- 2 pieces of green chillies
- 1 piece of small red chilli
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Canola oil
- 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
- A splash of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of cardamom
- 1 tablespoon of paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 8 pieces of ripe tomatoes
- 1 piece of cinnamon stick
- 1 cup of thick yogurt
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion, garlic cloves, chillies, and coriander. Peel and grate the ginger. In a mixing dish, combine all of the ingredients and place them in the refrigerator until the tomato sauce is just about to boil.
- Roll the meatballs in moist hands and fry them in canola oil on a grill plate or in a frying pan for around 3 minutes, or until the skin turns brown.
- Lift the meatballs into the sauce and cover with the lid. Allow it to slowly simmer for around 30 minutes.
- In a dry saucepan, dry roast the coriander seeds for a few minutes.
- Add the oil and all of the dry spices to the hot saucepan. Mix thoroughly for one minute to ensure that the oil absorbs all of the fragrances from the spices. Then stir in the finely chopped onions, garlic, chilli, and ginger. Cook, occasionally stirring, until the onions are tender.
- With the cinnamon stick, add peeled and sliced tomatoes to the sauce. Cook the tomatoes until they are soft and mushy.
- Mix in the yoghurt and kofta balls. Season with salt, mix thoroughly, and taste. Cover and leave to simmer for around 30 minutes.
- This recipe complements well with steamed cauliflower. In around 5 minutes over boiling water, they reach medium softness. Cauliflower is optional, but it gives the kofta rolls some structure. Place the sauce, cauliflower, and fresh coriander in the rolls.
