North Indian Lamb Koftas (Meatballs) with Cashew Nut Sauce

(Contributed by Catherine in Idaho Falls)

Koftas (meatballs)
1 lb. ground lamb
½ lb. potatoes, boiled, peeled, and riced or mashed
1 egg, beaten
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger (peel first)
1 Tablespoon roasted garlic, mashed
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon turmeric
Salt to taste
1 heaping teaspoon ground coriander (the spice, not the leaves)
½ teaspoon garam masala

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare 2 large cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper and spraying the paper with Pam.
2. Mix all kofta ingredients together – mix well with hands.
3. Form meat mixture into golf-ball sized balls and place on cookie sheets about an inch apart. Spray with Pam.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned.
5. Take out of oven; allow to cool on pans for a while before removing to a bowl. Can be used as cocktail meatballs without sauce.

Cashew Nut Sauce
Oil
1 cinnamon stick
4 or 5 cloves
3 or 4 cardamom pods
2 or 3 onions, ground to a paste
1 heaping tablespoon garlic paste (grated fresh or roasted garlic, mashed) (recipe for roasted garlic below)
1 heaping tablespoon ginger paste (peeled, grated fresh ginger)
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
2 Tablespoons ground coriander (the spice, not the leaves)
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
¾ cup yogurt or sour cream (or combination of the two)
¾ cup ground cashews
1 teaspoon garam masala powder (recipe below)

1. Heat oil and throw in whole spices until they start to brown
2. Add onion and garlic pastes, stirring and frying until they brown (takes a while).
3. Add ginger paste, fry a little longer, and then add sugar, salt, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne. Cook a while.
4. Add yogurt, ground cashews and cook till it tastes nice. Add garam masala powder at the end.
5. Add meatballs and cook for a short time together.

Majumdar Family Garam Masala

1 Tab. Cardamom seeds (take out of pods)
2-inch Cinnamon stick
1 tsp. whole cloves
1 tsp. black peppercorns
¼ of an average sized nutmeg.

Place all ingredients in a clean electric coffee-grinder. Grind for 30 to 40 seconds until the spices are finely ground. Store in a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Keep away from heat and light.

Roasted Garlic

1 head of garlic
Oil or Pam
Aluminum foil

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cut the top off the head of garlic so the ‘meat’ of the individual cloves are exposed (or at least, most of them are exposed)
3. Put garlic head on a square of aluminum foil and spray with oil or Pam. Seal up the garlic in the aluminum foil.
4. Bake for 35 minutes.
5. Let cool for a while and then pop the roasted garlic out of its papery covering. Can be used to add depth to dishes that require garlic and also as a spread on crackers or toast.