Mutton kofta curry with chickpeas

Mutton and Indian cuisine have gone hand in hand for centuries and in the days of the Raj mutton curry became popular in Britain. This delicious mutton kofta curry with chickpeas by food blogger Camilla Hawkins of Fab Food 4 All is medium in heat and perfect for the whole family.

Ingredients

• For the koftas:
• 500 g mutton, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 15 g fresh coriander leaves and stalks, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies, deseeded and finely diced
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 100 ml rapeseed oil
• For the curry sauce:
• 100 ml rapeseed oil
• 2 large onions
• 3 large garlic cloves
• 2.5 cm cube of root ginger
• 2 green chillies
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp hot chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• salt, to taste
• 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes in juice
• 175 ml coconut milk, made with 3tbsp coconut milk powder and warm water
• 400 g tin of chickpeas
• 15 g fresh coriander, stalks removed, finely chopped (leave a little for garnish)
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime

Preparation

1. Mix all the kofta ingredients except the oil (mutton mince, diced onion, fresh coriander, diced chillies, garam masala and salt) thoroughly together in a bowl with your hands. Shape into 16 equal sized balls and put in the fridge to firm up.
2. To make the sauce, finely dice the onions, crush the garlic, grate the ginger and halve and deseed the chillies before finely slicing them.
3. Heat 100ml of rapeseed oil in a wok and fry the meatballs for about 10 minutes, turning frequently, until lightly browned. Place the meatballs on kitchen paper to drain and set aside.
4. Clean out the wok and heat another 100ml of rapeseed oil and sweat the onions, stirring occasionally, until translucent (about 10 minutes).
5. Stir in the ginger, garlic and green chillies and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the spices and salt to taste and cook for a further minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and add the meatballs, bring to the boil and then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, chop the coriander leaves (discarding any stalks) and reserve some for garnishing.
7. Add the coconut milk and chickpeas and heat through for a few minutes. Stir in the chopped coriander and lime or lemon juice. Garnish with coriander.
8. Serve with rice or naan bread, raita or salad and mango chutney.