Mmmm... Meatballs! From the kofta made in India and various Middle Eastern countries to the kottbullar of Sweden to the Danish frikadeller to the 'spaghetti and meatballs' of Italy to the keftedes of Greece to the buletten or frikadellen or fleischpflanzerl made in Germany to the Japanese hanbagu to the kjottkaker of Norway to the Albanian Qofte te ferguara which includes feta cheese... Meatballs are made and relished with gusto practically all over the world.
Swedish meatballs, or kottbullar, for example, are made with either a mix of ground pork and beef, or just ground beef, mixed with finely chopped onions and breadcrumbs soaked in milk. Salt and white pepper is used for seasoning. Traditionally, Swedish meatballs are served with gravy along with boiled potatoes, fresh pickled cucumber, and lingonberry jam.
In Italian homes, meatballs form a part of the traditional Sunday dinner, often served fried hot peppers, crisp Italian bread, and mozzarella cheese. Whether piping hot from the cooking pot, or simply placed on a pile of spaghetti, Italians do love their meatballs.
So, here are a few simply yummy recipes to warm the cockles of your heart:
Swedish Meatball
Ingredients
1 lb minced beef
1 onion, chopped finely
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
1 egg
deciliter milk
Margarine for frying
Instructions
Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for about half an hour. Add the minced beef and mix together until they are well blended. Then, add the onion, and mix well again. Finally, add the egg and the seasoning. Roll into small balls and fry them in margarine for 10 minutes or so.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
cup oil
1 cup of chicken bouillon
3 green peppers, diced
can of pineapple chunks
cup of Cointreau
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Monosodium Glutamate
cup of vinegar
cup of pineapple juice
cup sugar
tsp salt
black pepper, freshly ground
Ingredients for the Batter
2 eggs
3 tbsp flour
salt and pepper
Instructions
Shape the ground meat into small balls. Mix the flour, eggs, pepper, and salt. Roll the meatballs in this batter and fry in heated oil until they turn nicely brown. Remove the meatballs from the oil and keep them aside. Remove all except 1 tablespoon of oil from the skillet. Add the bouillon, pineapple chunks, and diced green pepper, and cover the skillet and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Combine the rest of the ingredients and put it into the skillet, stirring continuously, until the mixture begins to boil and becomes thick. Then, add the meatballs and let them simmer for about 15 minutes. Season according to taste.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients for the Meatballs
1 lb beef, ground
1 egg
2 tbsp dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
tsp salt
tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Ingredients for the Sauce
15 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
14 oz can whole tomatoes, undrained and crushed
cup onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
tsp oregano
tsp basil
tsp sugar
2 cloves of garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
Mix all the meatball ingredients together in a bowl and form them into small balls. Put them on a cookie sheet and bake for about 25 minutes at 375 degrees F. Heat oil on medium heat and saute the onions. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Once the meatballs are done, add them into the sauce and let them simmer for about 20 minutes. Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions given on the packet. Add the cheese into the meatballs and sauce and serve on top of the spaghetti.
Indian Kofta Curry
Ingredients
300 gm Minced mutton
1 tsp Garam masala powder (mixed spice powder, recipe given below)
3 Slices of bread
1 Egg
2 Green chillies
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves
Ingredients for the gravy
1 tsp Cumin seed powder
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Red chili paste
1 Onion, chopped
2 Tomatoes
3 tbsp Oil
Cup of thick coconut milk
Instructions
Soak the slices of bread in water for a while then squeeze out all the water. Mix this into the minced meat, and then add the garam masala, salt and green chillies. Beat the egg and add that to the mixture. Mix all of this together until well blended. Shape the mixture into small balls or koftas.
In a wok, heat the oil and fry the chopped onion until golden brown. Then, add the tomatoes and continue frying for 2-3 minutes more. Mix the spice powder in about half a cup of water and add that to the onions and tomatoes. Lower the heat and add two cups of water. Allow the gravy to come to a boil and then add the koftas into it one at a time. Let the koftas simmer for about 5-6 minutes. Then, add the coconut milk and cook for about a minute. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot rice or rotis/parathas (flat, unleavened bread).
Ingredients for the Garam Masala
1 tbsp cumin seeds
4 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black cumin seeds, or shahjeera
1 tbsp black peppercorns
tsp cinnamon
tsp cardamom
tsp black cardamom, about 3-4 large sized pods
tsp cloves
tsp crushed bay leaves
1 tsp dry ginger
Instructions
Heat a skillet and roast all the ingredients, apart from the dry ginger, until the spices turn darker by a few shades. Keep stirring while they roast. After the spices are roasted, remove from heat and allow them to cool. Once they are cooled, put them in a coffee grinder, along with the dry ginger, and grind them into a fine powder. You can store this in an air-tight container and use as required.
No comments:
Post a Comment