Traditional recipes for Gushtaba and Rista, use goat meat, hand ground to a paste, with spices and animal fat. Ground meat is then rolled into meatballs, the size of a tennis ball and cooked in a stock with yogurt and milk.
This recipe is a result of experimenting with various ingredients and methods, trying to recreate the flavors and fragrance from my memories, while customizing some aspects to my family’s preferences.
- My version is soupier than the traditional version, since my family loves drowning rice in the luscious gravy and drinking left over as soup.
- Instead of grinding goat meat, I use pre-ground meat, preferably lamb, and mixing it with spices and ghee or mustard oil. The meatballs are grainier as a result of this variation, and not as compact as the versions served in a Kashmiri Wazwan. If you are looking for a less grainy version, grind boneless pieces of meat with spices and fat, in a heavy duty food processor.
Serve this dish with Basmati Rice and Onion Chutney.
Gushtaba
Description
Meatballs cooked in a luscious yogurt gravy garnished with dried mint flakes.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
For the curry
Method
Prepare the meatballs
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Using your hands or a paddle attachment of a stand mixer, blend in the dry spices and the ghee into the meat. Add a splash of oil on your palms and make golf ball sized meatballs. Keep aside.
If you are using turkey or any other lean meat, you may need to add some more oil or ghee to ensure the meatballs are moist. Keep a bowl of cold water and dip your hands in it often while making meatballs.
Prepare the Gravy
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Heat oil/ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. On medium heat, add hing, black cardamom, clove (laung) and cinnamon. Add water and bring to a simmer.
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Add all spice powders and whole spices left over (fennel powder, ginger powder, green cardamom, garlic powder, coriander powder) and salt. Add whipped yogurt followed by milk. Bring to a simmer while stirring continuously.
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Gently lower the meatballs into the gravy. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes or until the meatballs are fully cooked.
Meatballs are cooked when they float to the top. -
Warm up ghee in a separate pan. Add cumin, wait for cumin to splutter and add to the gravy. Remove from heat, garnish with dried mint and serve warm with rice.