Name: Lighter lamb kofta curry
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 400g can green lentils drained and rinsed; 250g lamb mince (20% Fat); 1 tbsp ground coriander; 2 tsp ground cumin; ¼ tsp turmeric; ¼ tsp chilli flakes; ¼ tsp medium or hot chilli powder; 1 small onion very finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves finely grated; 2.5cm/1in piece ginger grated; 3 tbsp chopped coriander; 2 tsp rapeseed oil; 1 large onion finely chopped; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 3 garlic cloves finely chopped; 3-4cm/1 ¼-1 ½in piece ginger finely chopped; 2 tsp ground coriander; ¼ tsp turmeric; ¼ tsp medium to hot chilli powder; 8 dried curry leaves; 1 cinnamon stick halved; 1 plump green chilli deseeded and thinly sliced; 2 large tomatoes (about 200g/7oz), roughly chopped; 2 tsp tomato purée; 200ml reduced-fat coconut milk; 1 tbsp chopped coriander plus extra to serve; garam masala for sprinkling; 200g basmati rice; 200g green beans stems trimmed; 100g frozen peas

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Lighter lamb kofta curry

Lighter lamb kofta curry

Angela Nilsen

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Serves 4

Easy

Prep: 40 mins

Cook: 25 mins

A star rating of 4.2 out of 5.5 ratingsRate

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An alternative version of a classic recipe with the calories, salt and fat slashed. Still rich in flavour, this creamy lamb curry is big on fibre, vitamin C, iron and folate - what's not to love?

Freezable

Gluten-free

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

For the meatballs

400g can green lentils

drained and rinsed
250g lamb mince

(20% Fat)
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp chilli flakes
¼ tsp medium or hot chilli powder
1 small onion

very finely chopped
2 garlic cloves

finely grated
2.5cm/1in piece ginger

grated
3 tbsp chopped coriander

For the sauce

2 tsp rapeseed oil
1 large onion

finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 garlic cloves

finely chopped
3-4cm/1 ¼-1 ½in piece ginger

finely chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp medium to hot chilli powder
8 dried curry leaves
1 cinnamon stick

halved
1 plump green chilli

deseeded and thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes

(about 200g/7oz), roughly chopped
2 tsp tomato purée
200ml reduced-fat coconut milk
1 tbsp chopped coriander

plus extra to serve
garam masala

for sprinkling

For the rice

200g basmati rice
200g green beans

stems trimmed
100g frozen peas

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal505
fat19g
saturates9.5g
carbs57.1g
sugars7.8g
fibre6.8g
protein22.9g
salt0.4g

Method

step 1

Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment. Tip two-thirds of the lentils into a medium bowl and mash them (the mashed lentils will help bind, the whole ones will add texture). Mix in the whole lentils, lamb, the spices, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, a good grind of black pepper and a pinch of salt, taking care not to overwork the mixture.
step 2

Using slightly damp hands, shape into 18-20 x 4cm meatballs. Lay the meatballs on the prepared tray, cover with cling film and chill while you prepare the sauce. Can be chilled overnight to develop extra flavour, if you like.
step 3

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a non-stick frying or sauté pan, and fry the onion and cumin seeds over a medium heat for 6-8 mins until the onion is softened, stirring occasionally. Raise the heat slightly to start to brown the onion and stir in the garlic, ginger, ground coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and curry leaves, stir-frying for a few mins. As the onion browns, stir in the cinnamon stick, green chilli, tomatoes and purée, briefly stirring to soften the tomatoes. Pour in 100ml of the coconut milk, scraping the bottom of the pan to gather up any brown sticky bits, and let it bubble briefly and thicken. Pour in 250ml water, bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and gently simmer for 15-20 mins to thicken very slightly – but keep checking so it doesn’t reduce too much (add a splash of water if needed). Season with pepper.
step 4

While the sauce simmers, uncover the meatballs and cook in the oven for 20 mins until cooked through and starting to brown on top – there is no need to turn them. Remove and pat down with kitchen paper to drain off any excess fat. Cook the rice following pack instructions.
step 5

Stir the remaining coconut milk into the sauce over a low heat, then add the chopped coriander. Sit the meatballs in the sauce and cook for 5 mins on a very gentle simmer to warm through and blend the flavours, then remove the cinnamon stick.
step 6

Meanwhile, cook the beans in a little boiling water for 4 mins, tipping in the peas for the final min. Drain and mix with the cooked rice and a grinding of black pepper. Tip the meatballs into a serving dish or divide between bowls, sprinkle over a little garam masala and the coriander, and serve with the veggie rice.

RECIPE TIPS

HOW I MADE IT HEALTHIER

To cut down on the fat and saturated fat, I swapped half the mince for lentils - which also increased the 5-a-day. I reduced the amount of salt but boosted the flavour with a variety of spices and other flavourings. I used rapeseed oil for frying (only a small amount) and reduced-fat coconut milk, plus I added extra veg to the rice to increase the 5-a-day.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, February 2016

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A star rating of 4.2 out of 5.5 ratings

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