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Courgette 'meatballs'

Category: Vegetarian

Author: The Savvybearcat

Date: 1/1/2007

Rating:

(3.0) by 1 users

Ingredients:

MMMMMMEATBALLS

1 1/4 Courgettes
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Fresh hot green chilli, finely chopped
3 tbsp Finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp Peeled and very finely grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp Finely chopped fresh green coriander
1 1/2 oz Graham flour
Vegetable oil 4 deep frying

MMMMMSAUCE

5 tbsp Vegetable oil 4 deep frying
2 medium Onions, peeled and very finely chopped
1/4 tsp Ground tumeric
1/16 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tsp Ground cumin seeds
2 tsp Ground coriander seeds
1/2 lb Tomatoes (about 2 tomatoes) peeled and finely chopped
8 fl Single cream
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Ground roasted cumin seeds
1/3 tsp Salt

Instructions:

Wash, trim and grate the courgettes. Put them into a bowl and
sprinkle them with the salt. Set them aside for 1/2 hr. Squeeze as
much liquid as possible our of the courgettes by pressing handfuls
between your two palms. Save this courgette liquid for the sauce. Dry
off the bowl and put the courgettes back in it. Add the chopped
chilli (you may want to use more than 1 chilli depending on your
taste - i use about 4 hot ones!), onion, ginger and coriander. Sift
the gram flour over this vegetable mixture. Mix well and form 16 neat
balls (i find throwing them from one hand to the other is easiest).
In a frying pan, wok or other utensil for deep frying, heat about
1.5" /4cm of oil over a medium flame (a wok should have 1.5"/4cm at
its centre). When hot, put 5 or 6 of the balls, or as many as the
utensil will hold easily in one layer. Fry for about 1.5 min.s, or
until the balls turn a rich, reddish-brown colour. Turn the balls
every now and then as they fry. Remove them with a slotted spoon when
they are done and leave to drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
Do all the 'meatballs' this way.

To make the sauce, remove 5 tbsp of the oil used in deep frying and
put this in a 10"/25cm frying or saute pan. Heat the oil over a med.
flame. When hot, put in the onions. Stir and fry for 7 - 8 min.s or
until the onions begin to turn brown at the edges. Take the pan off
the heat for a couple of sec.s and add the tumeric, cayenne, ground
cumin and ground coriander. Stir once and put the pan back on the
fire. Stir for another 5 sec.s and then add the chopped tomatoes.
Stir and fry on med. heat for 5 min.s. Add the courgette juice (you
need 8 fl oz, if you have less, add some water). Bring to the boil.
Cover, lower heat and let the sauce simmer for 15 min.s (this much of
the recipe may be prepared several hours ahead of time). Add the
cream, garam masala, ground roasted cumin and the salt. Mix well,
bring to a simmer and cook for 1 min. Now put in the 'meatballs'.
Spoon the sauce over them. Cover and simmer very gently for 6 - 7
min.s. Spoon the sauce over the 'meatballs' a few times during this
cooking period.

These 'meatballs` turn very soft when cooked in the sauce, so handle
them gently and serve immediately.

Makes 16 'meatballs' and serves 4(normal) - 6(feather-weights).