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Kari boulettes
கறி பூலெத்: Puducherry Creole spiced meatballs in a tomato and coconut curry
Kari boulettes come from Puducherry's Franco-Tamil Creole families, whose Sunday tables mix French names with Tamil spice boxes. Minced mutton or beef is mixed with onion, herbs and a little egg into small balls, then simmered in a curry of tomato, onion, poppy seed and coconut milk, often served with rice or crusty bread on feast days and at Christmas. The common mistake is stirring the balls as soon as they go into the gravy, which breaks them; let them set for five minutes, then only shake the pan. The meatballs are done when they reach 71 °C in the centre. Chef's tip: chill the shaped balls for 20 minutes before cooking so they hold their shape.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the boulettes
- 1 ⅛ lb minced mutton or lamb
- 1 small oniongrated and squeezed
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 eggbeaten
- ¾ tsp salt
For the curry
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 3 tomatoespuréed
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp white poppy seedssoaked and ground
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ¾ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- 10 curry leaves
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb minced mutton or lamb, 1 small onion, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 green chilli, 3 tbsp fresh coriander, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 egg and ¾ tsp salt with your hands for 2 minutes until sticky. Shape into 24 small balls and chill for 20 minutes on a plate in the fridge.
25 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wide pan over medium heat, add 10 curry leaves and 2 onions and fry 8 minutes until golden.
8 minStep 3: Add 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 2 tsp ground coriander and ½ tsp ground turmeric, stir 30 seconds, then add 3 tomatoes and ½ tsp salt. Cook 8 minutes until thick and the oil separates.
9 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tbsp white poppy seeds and ¾ cup water and bring to a simmer.
3 minStep 5: Lower in the boulettes in one layer. Cover and simmer 5 minutes without stirring, then gently shake the pan and cook 10 minutes more, until they reach 160°F in the centre.
15 minStep 6: Pour in ¾ cup coconut milk and warm through for 3 minutes without boiling. Serve with rice or bread.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kari boulettes take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of small onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of green chilli?
- A pinch of chilli flakes per chilli.
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