Chicken Meatballs with Butter Rice and Mint Yogurt Sauce

Ghee  normally known as clarified butter  is made by simmering unsalted butter in a cooking vessel until all the water has boiled off and the milk solids have settled to the bottom. After removing the froth that has floated to the top the clarified butter is carefully poured out of the vessel leaving the milk solids on the bottom of the pan undisturbed. Ghee can be stored for extended periods without refrigeration kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.

Ingredients make 20 small or 16 medium size meatballs

500 g chicken mince

2 crushed garlic cloves

1 cup breadcrumbs (80g)

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1 tsp lemon thyme
1 egg

½ tbls salt

¼ tbls pepper

2 tbls lemon juice

Method

Place mince, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, lemon zest, lemon thyme, salt, pepper in a bowl and mix with a spoon or your hand until consistent in texture. Use a tablespoon to form balls, place on a tray and leave in the refrigerator until ready for cooking.  Pour 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil on a frying pan and cook the meatballs until golden on one side approx. 5 min. Turn meatballs with a fork cook the other side. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle the meatballs with the lemon juice.

Ingredients for Butter Rice (Ghee Rice)

Cooking rice

2 cups Basmati rice

2 tbls Ghee (Clarified butter)

1 medium thinly sliced onion (150g)

1 Cinnamon stick

¼ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp Fennel Seeds

4 cups Water

½ tsp Salt

Method

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a deep pan and add fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Rinse the rice, transfer to a rice cooker and cover with four cups of water. Add ghee mix to rice and cook. When cooked, allow the rice to breath by fluffing it up.

Seasoning mix

2 tbls Ghee (Clarified butter) (30g)

½ cup Cashews (75g)

¼ cup Raisins (40g)

½ cup Crispy Fried Onions (50g)

Method

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in frying pan, add cashews and raisins. Sauté until cashews are lightly brown and the raisins become fleshy. Add the crispy onions.

Add the fried cashews, raisins and onion to the cooked rice and mix everything lightly.

Ingredients for Mint Yogurt Sauce

200 g plain yogurt

1 tbls shredded mint

¼ lemon, zest

Method

Place ingredients in a bowl and mix. Store covered in the refrigerator.

To assemble the dish: Position the warm Ghee Rice and Chicken Meatballs on a plate together with a small ceramic dish of Mint Yogurt Sauce.

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