Spaghetti and Meatballs

An internationally renowned meal, definitely a comfort food in my books! :)

You will need:

400-500gm Spaghetti (I approximate about 100gm dry pasta per person)

INGREDIENTS

½ kg beef mince
1 tbsp. breadcrumbs
salt/pepper
2 tbsp. chopped coriander
1-2 chopped green chilies
pinch of chili powder or some red chili flakes
dash of lemon juice (too much lemon will make the meatballs hard)
½ tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. garlic paste
½ tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. grinded cumin powder
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tbsp. yoghurt

Mix all the meatball ingredients together, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Sauce for the meatballs

INGREDIENTS

8 fresh tomatoes (blended with skin)
4 grated onions
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. sugar (to cut down the acidity of tomatoes)
bunch of coriander
½ tsp. ginger & garlic paste
some oil
salt
cumin powder or any spices of choice

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil, sauté the onions until nice and golden, add the ginger & garlic paste, followed by the tomato paste. Stir and add the spices, then add the blended tomatoes (I blend them with 2-3 green chilies and some coriander sticks) and the sugar & salt. Cook the sauce until it thickens, adding a bit of water when it gets too thick. Once ready, taste and adjust salt.

Start shaping the meatballs. Make sure you DONT OVER-SHAPE THEM. Do not keep pressing them to make the perfect ball, this normally hardens them. Keep your hand light and shape gently, placing on a plate...and then start plopping them one by one into the simmering sauce. Do not stir immediately, give them 2 minutes then using a small spoon turn each meatball over one by one and cooking them for another 3 minutes so the other side may get done. I normally do this in batches, removing the cooked meatballs from the sauce onto a plate when I'm about to do the next batch so the first batch doesn't get over-cooked...keep going until all are done. Then slowly plop all the cooked meatballs back into the sauce and give them a good gentle simmer for about 10-15mins. Try to mix them by swirling the cooking vessel instead of stirring with a spoon to avoid breaking the meatballs. Adjust salt/chili. Serve on your spaghetti and enjoy!

Suggestion: I normally serve this dish with garlic bread and a fresh salad.