Courgette'meatballs'

* Exported from MasterCook *

COURGETTE 'MEATBALLS'

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Vegetarian

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
-----MEATBALLS-----
1 1/4 Courgettes
1/2 ts Salt
1 Fresh hot green chilli,
-finely chopped
3 tb Finely chopped onion
1/2 ts Peeled and very finely
-grated fresh ginger
2 tb Finely chopped fresh green
-coriander
1 1/2 oz Graham flour
Vegetable oil 4 deep frying
-----SAUCE-----
5 tb Vegetable oil 4 deep frying
2 md Onions, peeled and very
-finely chopped
1/4 ts Ground tumeric
1/8 ts Cayenne pepper
1 t Ground cumin seeds
2 ts Ground coriander seeds
1/2 lb Tomatoes (about 2 tomatoes)
-peeled and finely chopped
8 fl Single cream
1/2 ts Garam masala
1/2 ts Ground roasted cumin seeds
1/3 ts Salt

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).



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