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Kola urundai
Fried minced mutton balls
கோலா உருண்டை: Chettinad fried balls of finely minced mutton with roasted gram, coconut and fennel
Kola urundai is the meat ball of Chettinad, served at Sunday lunch and at weddings in Karaikudi beside the mutton kuzhambu and rice. Lean mutton mince is cooked dry with fennel, then ground very fine with roasted gram, coconut, shallots and whole spices, rolled into small balls and fried until dark and crusty outside and tender within. They are eaten hot as a starter or with rasam rice. A common mistake is leaving the mixture too wet, so the balls crack and fall apart in the oil; the roasted gram is there to bind it, so add a little more if needed. Chef's tip: grind the cooked mince in short pulses until it becomes a smooth, sticky paste; coarse mince never holds a neat ball.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the mince
- 1 ⅛ lb lean mutton or lamb mince
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
For the masala
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- ¾ in cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 10 shallotspeeled
- ¾ in fresh ginger
- 1 ⅜ oz fresh grated coconut
- 1 ¾ oz roasted gram (pottukadalai)
- 15 curry leaves
- 3 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
For frying
- 2 ½ cups sunflower or groundnut oilfor deep-frying
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Cook 1 ⅛ lb lean mutton or lamb mince with ½ cup water, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp salt in a covered pan over medium heat for 15 minutes, then uncover and cook until completely dry and crumbly. Cool.
22 minStep 2: Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil and fry 1 ½ tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 4 dried red chillies, ¾ in cinnamon stick and 3 cloves for 1 minute until fragrant, then add 10 shallots, ¾ in fresh ginger and 5 garlic cloves and fry 3 minutes until soft.
4 minStep 3: Grind 1 ¾ oz roasted gram (pottukadalai) to a powder, then add the fried spices, 1 ⅜ oz fresh grated coconut and 15 curry leaves and grind to a coarse paste without water.
3 minStep 4: Add the cooked mince to the grinder in two lots and pulse until it becomes a smooth, sticky paste that holds when pressed. Mix in 3 tbsp fresh coriander.
5 minStep 5: Roll into 24 balls the size of a large marble, pressing firmly. If they crack, work in another tablespoon of ground roasted gram.
10 minStep 6: Pour 2 ½ cups sunflower or groundnut oil into a heavy kadai no more than a third full and heat to 350°F, or until a bread cube browns in about 50 seconds. Keep watch the whole time.
6 minStep 7: Fry 8 balls at a time for 3–4 minutes, turning, until deep brown and crusty and the sizzling softens. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot.
14 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kola urundai take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 30 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.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of fennel seeds?
- Aniseeds, same amount (a stronger liquorice taste).
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