Wednesday 17 August 2011

Balti Mini Lamb Kebabs

Highly spiced kebabs, baby new potatoes, sweet red onions and juicy cherry tomatoes make this a delectable meal.

Grabbing a handful of fresh coriander and green chillies, my grandma chopped them as finely as possible.  'To use for garnishing at the end' she would say in her own loving way, over and over.  

Stretching  naan bread with her soft hands into the famous teardrop shape, was a traditional method for my grandma.  I would watch her concentrating as she grilled the naan for a few minutes and when once done, brushed with lashings of ghee (clarified butter). 


Heaping spoonfuls of  the subtle sweet and spicy balti on the hot naan, we would then sit on her vintage cream garden furniture, detailed with intricate brocade designs and eat until there was room for no more.




Apologies, if the method seems so long, but I have wrote it in small bitesize instructions.  Easy and delicious.


Ingredients


Kebabs

*  600gms lean minced lamb
*  1 medium onion finely chopped
*  2 cloves of  garlic
*  2 tbsp of fresh coriander
*  1 green chilli
*  Salt (according to taste)
*  2tsp of chilli powder (or according to taste)
*  1 tbsp of gram flour
*  1 tbsp of olive oil


Vegetables


*  10 baby new potatoes (cut in halves and boiled in salted water until cooked)
*  8 cherry tomatoes cut in halves
*  1 baby aubergine thickly sliced
*  1 medium red onion finely sliced
*  1 green chilli finely cut to garnish
*  Coriander to garnish


Sauce


*  2 ripe tomatoes chopped
*  2 tbsp of olive oil
*  1 clove of garlic crushed
*  Small cube of ginger crushed
*  1 tsp of garam masala (whole and crushed)
*  1 tsp of chilli powder (or according to taste)
*  Salt according to taste


Kebabs


1)  Apart from the minced lamb and gram flour, blitz the rest of the ingredients with a electric hand whisk, to form a green paste.


2)  Add to the minced lamb and gram flour.  


3)  Form the kebabs on metal skewers, making sure they are in bitesize chunks.  (If this proves difficult, mould into small sausage shapes and insert skewer through middle).  Remove from skewer and place in a plate.


4)  Add oil to a griddle pan and brown each kebab evenly, until thoroughly cooked.  Remove and place on a plate.


Sauce


1)  Add oil to a wok, add the tomatoes, cook until they turn soft and start losing their shape.


2)  Add the garlic, ginger and garam masala, cook for a 1-2 mins.


3)  Now add the chilli powder and salt according to your taste.  Cook for 5-7 mins until the tomatoes have all softened and everything is combined.


Vegetables


1)  Add the potatoes to the sauce and cook for a further 3-4 mins


2)  Add the baby aubergine and onions and cook for a further 5-8 mins


3)  Put in the cherry tomatoes and stir until slightly soft, to release its sweetness


5)  Add the kebabs and stir for 2-4 mins


4)  Garnish with coriander, green chilli and a dash of lemon juice.  Stir carefully.


*  Buy ready made naan breads, heat and brush with butter.  Top off with the balti and serve with plain greek yogurt. 

2 comments:

  1. These look so good! I love that the meat is both grilled and then dunked in sauce.

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  2. And they taste absolutely delicious. Do try1

    ReplyDelete