Indian Chicken Masala Balls

Chicken Meatballs. Ahhhh. Blasphemy. I know the thought is of a dry flavorless, hockey puck. But really they can be quite tasty. It does take a little bit of work, but the pay off if well worth it. They are a healthy alternative to the beef and are a good way to get the picky eater in the family to eat something a little different, yet familiar. It’s a great way to slowly introduce new flavors into your family’s diet.

Indian food is so flavorful and utilizes fresh spices and herbs as much as possible.  I have used this traditional method to add the flavors because it gives you the most bang for your buck, however, if you can’t find these spices fresh, you can use dried, just rub the spices in the palm of your hand to release the oils. And do not use a coffee grinder that you will actually use to grind your coffee. I have a specific spice coffee grinder that I got at Wal-Mart for 8 bucks, and use it all the time.

These meatballs are great on their own as an appetizer for a party, or good for dinner served with couscous or rice. I've even made tika masala sauce and used these meatballs instead of cut up chicken pieces. They are very versatile, and pack quite a punch in such small package.

Indian Chicken Masala Balls

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

4 tbsp. coriander seeds

2 tbsp. cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

3 green cardamom pods

5-6 whole cloves

1/2 c. cashew nuts

2 lb. kg ground chicken

1 small onion chopped

5-8 fresh green chilies

2 tbsp. red chili flakes

5 cloves garlic,

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

3″ piece ginger

1 egg, well beaten

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup plain bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a small frying pan. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, and cashew nuts. Stir for a minute on low heat until you can spell the spices giving off their aroma. Be careful not to burn the spices it can happen pretty quickly. Cool the toasted spices and place into a coffee grinder. Grind the roasted ingredients. Now in your food processor put in the ginger, garlic, onion, red chili flakes and green chilies; grind into a coarse paste. Next add in the chicken, egg, salt and pepper. Mix together to form a smooth paste.  Gently mix in 1 tbsp. of olive oil by hand, but do not squeeze the paste mixture. This will make the meatballs tough. Now shape the meat into balls the size of golf balls.  Place the meatballs into a bowl with bread crumbs and place them in individual, miniature muffin tin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Traditionally the balls are deep fried in oil, which gives them a fantastic crunchy coating on the outside. If you do plan on deep frying them, make sure the oil is piping hot before frying. Place on a cooling rack with paper towels underneath to drain off the excess oils and cool completely. 

You could also skip the bread crumbs all together and grill the chicken meatballs. Just be sure the grill is well oiled and piping hot. Make the balls lemon sized instead of golf ball sized. Place on the grill close the cover and walk away for 5 minutes. I mean it. If you try to remove it or open the grill before this, the chicken will stick to the grill and fall apart. After this turn and cook total about 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Anyway you cook them, they all freeze well. Simply freeze the meatballs in a single layer in a Ziploc bag. Squeeze out all the air and lay flat to freeze completely.  When reheating either place in the toaster oven, regular oven. Serve on their own with a chutney or place in curry or a creamy tomato sauce.