The Roll of the Spice!

Polpettini di Agnello "Tandoori" e Fagiolini

Tandoori Lamb Meatballs with Green Beans

Everybody loves meatballs! Quick, easy and inexpensive, these age-old favorites almost always go down well- but why stick to the old traditions, when you can add a little spice and have a little more fun? And a lot more flavor!

I still had a good handful of coriander/cilantro left in the fridge, some mint, some ground lamb and the kind of mood to have something satisfying and quick, but also spicy and fun. Before I knew exactly what I was doing, the Indian spices were out on the counter and I was shaking them into my mixing bowl... and this is what happened from that point on...

So, I had the ground lamb in a bowl, waiting to be spiced up and transformed into something wild and wonderful. It was just enough meat to make two good sized burgers. I added a handful of coriander, a couple of finely chopped Spring onions, a little mint and a couple of slices of ginger, all finely chopped, along with a couple of tablespoons of yogurt.

Next came the spices! I added a teaspoon of garam masala and a good, heaped tablespoon of tandoori powder, half a teaspoon of ground chili and half a teaspoon of turmeric. I mixed these all together well, kneading it with my hands to make sure that everything got well integrated. I didn't add any egg or bread-crumbs- just a minute or two of thorough kneading will make everything bind together wonderfully.

I formed the little meatballs, around the size of a ping-pong ball, dipping ma hands into water the whole time to keep them from sticking too much and also to give them a nice smooth surface. I then heated up a non-stick pan and proceeded to fry the meatballs with no added oil... there is plenty of fat in the meat- so fear not! After frying them from all sides for 3-4 minutes, I added the beans, a sprinkled of sugar and a sprinkle of salt and continued frying for a further 2-3 minutes.

Whilst that was all browning nicely, I cut a half of a red onion into slices and added it at the last minute, along with a little squeeze of lemon and a final sprinkle of tandoori powder... and I do have to say that the result was absolutely delicious! Enjoy with naan bread or plain rice... but by all means enjoy!