How to Cook Meatballs, a South Indian Recipe

Meatballs are made with minced meat mixed along with other ground ingredients and shaped into small balls or to a round flat shape and deep fried in oil. it is very easy to digest and tastes different, so it is good for children and elders. The meatballs also provide required nutrients to them.

In this South Indian recipe I have used lamb meat to make the meatballs. You can also use mutton or beef as per availability.

• 500 grams of lamb meat without bones
• 3 to 4 Green chilies
• One inch long piece of Ginger (skinned)
• About handful of Garlic cloves, shucked and chopped
• Coconut meat from 1/3rd coconut, cut into pieces
• Two medium sized onions, finely chopped
• A bunch of Mint leaves
• Half a cup of fried chickpeas
• One teaspoon of Cumin seeds
• One teaspoon of Fennel seeds
• Few pieces of Cinnamon
• 5 to 6 Cloves
• 4 to 5 Cardamom pods
• Few pieces of Star Anise
• A teaspoon of dried seaweed
• One teaspoon of Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

• Clean the lamb meat. Remove any fat tissue and bone particles from the meat
• Place the lamb meat in a mixer grinder and grind to a fine paste
• Remove the minced meat from the mixer and keep aside
• In the same mixer jar, add all other ingredients and make a fine paste
• Add the minced meat to the ground ingredients and once again grind to mix well
• Transfer the paste to another vessel
• I have forgotten to add the turmeric powder to the grinder. A tablespoon of turmeric powder is now added to the paste and mixed by hand

Our mix for making the meatballs is ready. I have not added any water as the moisture present in meat and few other ingredients are sufficient to make the mix to required consistency.

• Heat enough cooking oil in a pan over medium heat. I have used Rice Bran oil, you can use any oil available to you.
• When the oil is being heated, make the raw meatballs from the mix.

I have made them into flat shapes as it is easier to cook. Sometimes the inner portion of meatballs made in round ball shapes may not be fried properly. The flat shaped ones cook evenly without burning the outer shell

• Once oil in the pan is properly heated, add about 4 to 5 meatballs one by one to the pan
• Turn them over with a ladle or strainer for even cooking on all sides

• Once the outside of the meatballs are fried to deep brown, take one piece and check
• If the inner portion is raw, keep it in oil for few more seconds
• Remove the properly fried meatballs from pan and strain out excess oil.
• We normally use banana leaf for storing hot deep-fried food. You can use an absorbent paper for this

Serve the meatballs as one of the main course with lunch