A small twist on the Punjabi classic Butter Chicken, these Butter Chicken Meatballs feature plump chicken meatballs and simmered in a spicy tomato gravy rich in butter and cream. Serve over rice, greens or in a sandwich with a side of cucumber raita.
1 (1 ½ inch)knobginger peeled and coarsely chopped
454g (1 lb)ground chicken
1½cupscooked brown basmati ricecold
1egg
1tbspGreek yogurt
2scallionthinly sliced, divided
½limezested
2tspsaltdivided
3tspKashmiri chili powder**divided
2½tspgaram marsaladivided
1tspturmericdivided
½tspground corianderdivided
½tspground cardamomdivided
½tspcayenne pepper
4tbspneutral oilI used canola, divided
2 ½cuptomato puree
2tspturbinado sugar
3tbspunsalted butter
1cupwhipping cream
1tspfenugreek leaves
cilantrofinely chopped, for sprinkling
sunflower micro-greensfor sprinkling
Cucumber Raita
½tspcumin seeds
1tbspneutral oilI used canola
½tspblack mustard seeds
1 ½cupsGreek yogurt
4Persian cucumberspeeled and shredded
¼cupcilantrofinely chopped
½tspsalt
½limejuiced
Instructions
For the Raita
Place the cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast until fragrant. Take the skillet off of the heat and deposit the seeds onto a cutting board. Give the seeds a quick chop and place them in a medium-sized bowl.
Return the skillet to the heat and add the oil and black mustard seeds. Saute until the seeds begin to pop. Pour the seeds and oil into a small bowl and set aside to cool.
Spoon the yogurt into the bowl with the cumin seed. Squeeze any excess moisture from the cucumber and add it to the bowl as well. Toss in the salt, cilantro, lime juice, and the cooled mustard seeds and oil. Stir until well-integrated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the Meatballs
Place the onion, ginger, and garlic in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, place the ground chicken along with 2 tbsp of the onion puree. Add the rice, egg, yogurt, half of the sliced scallions, lime zest. Next, toss in 1 tsp of the salt, 1 tsp of the chili powder, 1 tsp of grama marsala, ½ tsp of the turmeric, and a ¼ tsp of the cardamom and ground coriander. Using a clean hand, mix until everything is well-integrated.
Form the mixture into meatballs, using a heaping tablespoon as a guide. Transfer the meatballs to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes or overnight if you prefer to form them a day ahead.
Once chilled, pour 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, deep skillet and place over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the meatballs to the skillet. Sear the meatballs on all sides until well-browned. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the skillet and pour in the reserved onion puree. Add a pinch of salt and saute until the puree is fragrant and slightly golden in color, about 7-10 minutes. Add the remaining chili powder, grama marsala, turmeric, coriander, and cardamom along with the cayenne pepper and saute for a minute or two more. Pour in the tomato puree, salt, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
Once the 15 minutes have passed, add the butter and stir until melted and well-integrated. Stir in the cream and bring the sauce back up to a simmer. Place the meatballs in the sauce and cover. Let simmer for 10 minutes, rotating the meatballs once halfway through.
Take the meatballs off of the heat and stir in the fenugreek leaves. Spoon 4 or 5 meatballs over rice, greens, naan or all of the above. Garnish with fresh cilantro, the remaining scallion, sunflower microgreens, and additional fenugreek leaves. Serve immediately.
Notes
**If you can't find Kashmiri chili powder sub in paprika, preferrably smoked.