Kai-ma Undae Curry (Kheema Balls)

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Kaima Undae Curry, is a standard Kodava / Coorg recipe to cook minced meat balls in a thick coconut based gravy. The colour is always a pale yellow and thick in texture.

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

500 gms Minced Mutton, ensure it is not fine, but lumpy or grainy

For marination

3 sprigs Coriander leaves

5 Cloves

1" Ginger

2 Cinnamon Sticks

5 Peppercorns

For Curry

4-5 tbsps coriander paste (one bunch of coriander leaves miced to a paste with 3 chilies, salt and 3" pc of ginger), keep the rest aside to freeze if any is left

2 tbsps Freshly pound and grated ginger and garlic, use fresh only

2 Tomatoes, diced finely

3 green chilies

2 Cloves

1 Cinnamon stick

1 tbsp Oil

2 cups Mutton Stock or 2 cups Water

Half cup Coconut paste, finely ground to a paste

2-3 tbsps Oil for frying meatballs

Method

Grind all ingredients under marination till finely ground, do not add water. Instead, add meat in parts to a coarse mixture. Grind 80% of the meat in the mixer with the marination ingredients, empty into a mixing bowl. Add the remaining 20% meat to it, and mix by hand or spatula till all are evenly mixed.

In a flat pan, add oil for frying kaima undae and heat on medium flame. Make small sized balls and place in pan. Immediately lower the heat and cover. Allow the balls to cook in its own juices. Turn the meatballs only once in 3-4 minutes, remove and set aside.

In a wok or cheenchatti, add a tbsp oil, fry the cloves, cinnamon and ginger garlic on a low heat. One at a time for 1 minute each. Add the chilies, then tomatoes and continue frying till the tomatoes are fried to a paste, cover the wok during the cooking process, stirring occasionally. Add the coriander paste, and a few laddles of water, cover the mixture and cook on medium flame. Allow to simmer, and then add the coconut paste, stir the mixture well on low heat for 3 minutes. Finally add the stock or water and bring to a boil, reduce heat and add the meatballs. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring gently on low heat.

Best served with otti, or roti, for otti recipe, click here

Alternatively serve with Nei Kul or Ghee Rice.

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About Writer

Sitara Cariappa is a writer, cultural ethnographer and an archivist from Coorg, in India. She takes interest in documenting food, stay, culture and traditions from Coorg and other places that she has travelled to and lived in. She was born in Coorg and raised in New Delhi. A large part of her life was spent in different countries like France, South East Asia and largely in Coorg and New Delhi. Her blog @thedrunkenpig_ reflects her life and stories with her grandmother, cooking heirloom recipes and foraging activities of her Coorg community. In her spare time she curates travel itineraries for Coorg.