Lamb meatball and potato pulao with onion salad and mint sauce
Right. It’s roll-your-sleeves-up time. This dish has a few (very easy) components, so set yourself some time to create an Indian-inspired feast that will fully knock socks off. Fans of rice, spice, lamb and spuds will be in heaven, but there are plenty of other flavours here too. For starters, there are cashews, mint and coriander, with a creamy, herby yoghurt sauce to drizzle over everything. Then, you throw in some purchased naan and boom. Feast-o-rama.
We’re particularly in love with the easy onion salad; called laccha payaz, it’s common in Northern India where it’s served in small bowls as part of larger spreads. Quick to make, it brings a tangy brightness that cuts the richness of the meat and rice and the killer ingredient is chaat masala, a zesty spice blend commonly used in Indian salads and snacks. Typically it includes amchur (dried mango powder), cumin, coriander, and black salt and it’s easy to find in Indian food stores. You can add as much, or as little, chaat masala to your onion salad as you like, but don’t assemble the salad until just before serving as the onion will go droopy on standing – you want it crisp, juicy and perky.
SERVES 4
500g lamb mince
1 tbsp finely chopped or grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
1 tsp each ground cumin, turmeric and chilli powder
½ tsp garam masala
2½ tbsp grapeseed oil
80g (½ cup) roasted unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped
mint leaves, to serve
Pulao
250g (1¼ cups) basmati rice
2 tbsp ghee or grapeseed oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
450g small potatoes, cut into 4mm thick slices
1 tbsp finely chopped or grated ginger
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
1 large tomato, grated or finely chopped
2 tsp each ground coriander and garam masala
1 cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods, bruised
85g (⅓ cup) raisins
250ml (1 cup) coconut milk
Onion salad
1 large red onion,
1 large green chilli, sliced
juice of 1 lemon
½ tsp each salt, ground black pepper, chilli powder and chaat masala, or to taste
small handful coriander sprigs
Mint yoghurt sauce
½ tsp ground cumin
½ cup mint leaves
½ cup coriander leaves
1 large green chilli, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
260g (1 cup) Greek yoghurt
Combine the mince, ginger, garlic and spices in a bowl then season well with salt and pepper. Using your hands, knead the mixture to combine well. Take tablespoonfuls of the mixture and roll into balls. Place on a plate of tray, then refrigerate until needed.
For the pulao, soak the rice in cold water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain well, reserving 310ml (1¼ cups) of the soaking water. heat the ghee or oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or large, deep frypan over medium heat. Add the onion, then cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes or until golden. Add the potato, then cook for another 5 minutes, stirring, for the potatoes to soften slightly. Add the ginger, garlic, tomato and ground and whole spices, then cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until the ginger and garlic have softened and the mixture is fragrant. Add the raisins, reserved soaking water and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan tightly, reduce the heat to low, then cook for 12-15 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat then stand, covered, for 10 minutes to finish cooking the rice and potatoes.
Meanwhile, for the onion salad, use a mandoline or a large, sharp knife to thinly slice the onion into rings. Place the onion into a bowl of ice-cold water, then stand for 10 minutes. Drain well, then blot the onion dry using kitchen paper. Use your fingers to separate the onion layers, then place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Toss to combine well.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the meatballs in a single layer – cook them in batches, if needed. Cook for 5-6 minutes, turning often, until cooked through and browned all over.
For the mint yoghurt, combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, then blend until smooth. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
To serve, pile the pulao onto a large platter, then scatter with the meatballs, cashews and mint leaves. Serve with the onion salad and mint yoghurt sauce passed separately.
