Another gem of Pakistani home cooking…… let it be any sort of family gathering, this dish is everyones’ favourite ❤

Ingredients

FOR MEATBALLS

• 500 gms good quality chicken/ beef/ mutton mince (fresh) (if defrosted, put it in strainer for at least an hour before using it to drain access water)
• 1 medium sized onion, peeled and cut into half
• 4 – 5 desi green chillies
• 1 cup chopped coriander
• 2 tbspns chopped mint leaves
• 2 tbspns crushed ginger & garlic
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbspn red chilli flakes & powder
• A generous pinch of turmeric
• A generous pinch of garam masala
• A generous pinch of fenugreek leaves
• 2 tbspns bhuna chana powder/ roasted gram flour
• An egg (optional)

FOR CURRY

• 1 cup oil
• 2 large potatoes, peeled & cut into big chunks
• 2 medium sized onions, chopped
• 2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbspn ginger & garlic paste
• A piece of cinnamon
• 2 pieces of cloves
• 2 pieces of green cardamom
• 3 – 4 peppercorns
• 1 ¼ tspn cumin powder
• 1 tspn coriander powder
• 1 tspn anardana powder
• A pinch of nigella seeds

FOR GARNISH

• Some coriander leaves (chopped)
• Some green chillies (cut into slices)
• A pinch of garam masala powder

METHOD

1. Combine everything given for meatballs and process in the food processor until everything is well combined. Add egg if the meat is not sticking properly. I use 80% lean with 20% fat to make meatballs so the meat sticks together better.
2. Make golf ball sized balls out of this mixture and shallow fry until the koftas come in shape. Do not cook them all the way through because they will be simmered in curry at the end to absorb all the juices & flavour.
3. Keep them aside until needed.
4. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry onions until they are lightly coloured. Add ginger & garlic paste and cook until the garlic is fragrant and add tomatoes. Cook on medium to high heat to soften the tomatoes. Add a splash of water if needed.
5. When the tomatoes are soft, add all the spices and cook on low to medium heat with constant stirring and splash some water whenever needed. Keep on stirring to cook the masala and use your stirring spoon to mash the tomatoes as well.
6. When the oil ooze out add the potato chunks and cook stirring for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are half cooked. Add 2 cups of water and cover the pot with the lid. Let it cook for 10 minutes on low to medium heat.
7. Now add the meatballs and give a final stir. Cover the pan and let it simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes and then reduce the flame to low and cook for further 10 minutes.
8. Garnish with some fresh coriander leaves, garam masala & green chillies and serve hot with home made chapattis.

In Pakistan we have got the best carrots, which can be used in number of desserts, sweet pickles & cooking. So this is a very traditional home cooking recipe which is almost every middle aged woman’s favourite 😀 because they love cooking it as it saves a lot of time thinking what to cook today?

This is my version of this dish, I like to make it slightly spicy and aromatic in traditional matti ki handi with all the flavorsome temper.

Ingredients

2 large size potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

3 large size or 5 medium sized carrots, peeled and cut into slices

1 ½ cup peas

2 large size onions, sliced

3 medium size tomatoes, chopped

4 – 5 desi green chillies

½ cup chopped fresh coriander

1 cup oil

2 tbspns ghee

1 tspn of freshly crushed ginger & garlic

SPICES

Salt to taste

1 chicken cube (optional)

1 tspn heapful of red chilli flakes & powder

1 levelled tspn of turmeric

1 tspn heapful of coarsely crushed cumin (fresh)

1 levelled tspn of coarsely crushed coriander

1 tspn of garam masala (2 cloves, 4 curry leaves, 4 peppercorns, 1 green cardamom, an inch of cinnamon, 2 generous pinches of dried fenugreek leaves, a generous pinch of nigella seeds & a small pinch of carom seeds)

METHOD

• Wash, peel and cut all the vegetables as described.

• Heat oil in a non-stick skillet or matti ki handi and fry onions until they are very lightly coloured. Add ginger garlic paste and saute’ until the garlic is half cooked. Add tomatoes and cook on medium to high heat until the tomatoes are soft.

• Add all the spices except garam masala and give it a stir.

• Now add potatoes, cook for 5 minutes on low – medium heat, then add carrots and cook covered for 5 minutes. Add peas and stir. Cook covered on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes & peas are cooked through.

• Heat ghee in a frying plan and add garam masala when it is melted. Cook for 5 – 10 seconds and add it to the vegetable curry. Stir & remove from flame.

• Garnish with coriander leaves & green chillies and serve hot with home made chapattis.