Garam Masala Meatballs with Two Dips

There were two aims to this "experiment":
1) See what Garam Masala is all about.




2) Test this coconut cream powder. Sometimes one doesn't need a full can of coconut cream or coconut milk in a recipe, in which case powder might come in handy.










For 2 or 3 persons

meatballs
- 600gr minced meat (beef or a mix beef/pork)
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
- 1/2 onion (very finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon white wine
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste (or freshly grated)
- 1 teaspoon dried coriander (fresh is better)
- 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala powder
- a pinch of sugar
- salt, pepper


chick pea dip
- 1/2 can chick peas (or one small can)
- 1 small clove garlic, crushed
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- salt, pepper


yoghurt, coconut and cucumber dip
- 1 cucumber (cucumbers are very small in Japan. Elsewhere, take half), peeled, grated or finely chopped according to taste.
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk powder
- 2 tablespoons water
- 4-5 tablespoons plain yoghurt
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sweet basil (optional)



Thoroughly mix all the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl, and refrigerate for about one hour.

Prepare the chick pea dip. Drain the canned chick peas and remove their skin. Mash them and add garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, water if necessary. Keep it cold until served.

Prepare the cucumber dip. In a small bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons of coconut cream powder with 2 tablespoons warm water. Once cold, add the cucumber, yoghurt, salt, basil.

Take the meatball mix out from the fridge and shape into about 3cm meatballs. You can arrange them onto (oiled) skewers for a better presentation.
Bake them in an oven at 200deg for about 20min.

Serve with the dips and white rice.