Kashmiri Lamb Meatballs with Prunes

I like my food to be exciting, a little surprising even, and these meatballs are right up there! Not only are they packed with flavour they have hidden in the middle a deliciously sweet prune bringing moisture and luxury to every mouthful.

Now don't be afraid of the long ish list of ingredients - they're mainly spices and if you don't already have them, they're a good mix that you should keep in your pantry going forward. The curry itself is perfectly balanced with sweet, aromatic and tang. As regular readers will know, I'm a big fan of swapping tamarind paste for good old brown sauce but you can also use a squeeze of lime here instead.

Kashmiri Lamb Meatballs with Prunes
Serves 4

For the meatballs:

1 tbsp fennel seeds, finely ground in a pestle and mortar

6 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and finely crushed 

1 tbsp ground cumin 

1 tsp ground ginger 

2 tsp chilli powder 

2 tsp paprika 

500g lamb mince 

1 medium free-range egg, beaten 

16 pitted prunes 

For the sauce:

2 tbsp vegetable oil 

2 dried bay leaves 

3 green cardamom pods, bashed

1 tsp dried ginger 

2 tsp chilli powder 

1 tsp paprika 

1 tbsp ground cumin 

2 tbsp tamarind paste or brown sauce or lime juice

5 sprigs fresh mint, leaves finely chopped

For the meatballs, mix the ground spices, mince and beaten egg in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then shape into 16 equal balls. Flatten each in your palm and press a prune into the middle, wrapping the mince mixture around to seal the prune inside. 

For the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan and the bay leaves and cardamom pods. Once they start to pop, turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool a little. Stir in the dried ginger, then add the chilli powder and paprika and cook, stirring, for 5-10 seconds. 

Turn the heat back up to medium. Add the meatballs and cook, turning, until brown all over (about 5 minutes). Add the remaining ground spices, fry until fragrant, then pour over 500ml water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. 

Remove the lid and check the sauce – it should have thickened slightly. Give it another 10-15 minutes without the lid if it seems too thin. Add the tamarind paste/brown sauce/lime juice to taste, then serve scattered with the fresh mint. I like mine simply with steamed rice or served in flatbread with yogurt and salad.