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Umatha's Kheema Meatballs & Soup

5 from 1 vote
A beloved aunt’s beloved recipe for making basic lamb (kheema, as we know it) meatballs and in a light, warm, nourishing and so-flavourful broth. Drink the broth on its own or save it for other soups. Fry the meatballs and dunk them in a tomato gravy or eat them as soup. Lots of possibilities with this family recipe.
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

To powder
  • 2 ” cinnamon stick
  • 8 cloves
  • ½ cup fried gram/ pappulu/ pottu kadalai [see notes]
To mix
  • ½ kg minced or ground lamb
  • 2-3 medium-sized onions or better, the equivalent in shallots
  • 20 cloves garlic
  • 2" piece of fresh ginger
  • 6-8 green chillies
  • ½ cup finely chopped coriander leaves or a combination of coriander and mint leaves
  • 1 cup freshly grated coconut
  • 2 teaspoons dhania or coriander powder
  • 1 egg white
  • About 2 teaspoons salt or to taste

Method
 

  1. Gently toast the cloves and cinnamon until just warm and fragrant, and powder along with the fried gram. You can use a few teaspoons of besan if you do not have access to fried gram. Set aside.
  2. Finely chop the shallots/onions, green chillies and herbs. Pound together the ginger and garlic.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the “to mix” ingredients.
  4. Mix really well with your hands before you add the ground powder and then finally the egg white. Mix again.
  5. Set a stock pot about half filled with water on the stove, and bring to an active simmer--almost a rolling boil but just less.
  6. Meanwhile, wash hands and oil them lightly. Now pinch off bits of the mince mix and roll them into lime-sized balls. You can save these on a plate until you’re finished rolling or just drop them one by one into the waiting stock pot.
  7. Don’t drop them into a rolling boil, slip them in on the sides. They’ll sink at first, but start to float once cooked.
  8. When you’re done rolling and slipping, keep the pot on a simmer or just barely above one and boil until the liquid reduces by half.
  9. Check for salt, adjust if needed. Fat droplets should be visible on the sides.
  10. Garnish with more fresh coriander and slit green chillies, if you like.
  11. You may elect to enjoy this as a soup or separate the meatballs—fry them lightly, serve them with a sauce. They keep well, frozen, for at least a few weeks.
  12. The broth stores well, too, for a week or more.

Notes

On pappulu, pottu kadalai and fried gram, see this post!