Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Romesco Sauce (+Lamb Meatballs)
A few months ago, I really wanted to make meatballs in my Indian take on a tomato sauce, like the one from this older post. However, much to my disappointment, I was out of tomatoes, and I was way too tired to step out and get some. Fortunately, I'm not one to shy away from improvising, and came across some red bell peppers in my fridge. An old room mate of mine would bring his mother's home cooked food for us and she would make this amazing red pepper sauce to use with pastas (shout out to Theja and Mrs. C!). I thought I'd attempt my own version of that sauce, and also thought I could borrow from a Spanish recipe, romesco sauce. Also, to keep in tune with my heritage, introduce some Indian flavors (hence the title, which also happens to be one of my favorite movies). The first time around, I had omitted the nuts (almonds, pine nuts, or hazelnuts) which are typical in a romesco sauce. I've revisited the recipe since and below you'll find the steps. I've also included a recipe for my lamb meatballs, which pair well with this sauce, and can also be served with a pasta of your choice. You're getting two for one in this blog post! ;)
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
-2 red bell peppers
-1/2 medium onion, diced
-3 large cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
-2 green chilis minced
-1/4 cup of slivered almonds
-1 bay leaf
-1/2 tbsp. of roasted cumin powder
-1/2 tbsp. of red chilli powder
-1/2 tbsp. black pepper
-1/4 tbsp. of cumin seeds
-Salt to taste
-3 tbsp. of your preferred cooking oil (olive oil recommended)
For the meatballs*:
-1 lb. ground lamb
-1 clove of garlic, smashed and minced
-1 green chili minced
-1/2 tbsp. roasted cumin powder
-1/4 tbsp. of coriander powder
-1/4 tbsp. of turmeric powder
-1/2 tbsp. of corn starch
-Salt to taste
-2 tbsp. of oil
Preparation:
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
-2 red bell peppers
-1/2 medium onion, diced
-3 large cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
-2 green chilis minced
-1/4 cup of slivered almonds
-1 bay leaf
-1/2 tbsp. of roasted cumin powder
-1/2 tbsp. of red chilli powder
-1/2 tbsp. black pepper
-1/4 tbsp. of cumin seeds
-Salt to taste
-3 tbsp. of your preferred cooking oil (olive oil recommended)
For the meatballs*:
-1 lb. ground lamb
-1 clove of garlic, smashed and minced
-1 green chili minced
-1/2 tbsp. roasted cumin powder
-1/4 tbsp. of coriander powder
-1/4 tbsp. of turmeric powder
-1/2 tbsp. of corn starch
-Salt to taste
-2 tbsp. of oil
Preparation:
For the sauce:
Add salt along the way, as per your taste.
-Pre-heat your 375˚F
-Roast the bell peppers for 10-12 minutes once the oven has pre-heated
-In a pot, add 2 tbsp. of your oil and let it heat up to just before its smoking point (keep it at medium heat)
-Add the cumin seeds and sauté for 2-3 minutes
-Add the diced onions and sauté till translucent
-Add the garlic and green chillis and sauté till the onions are about to brown
Cumin seeds, onions, garlic, and green chillis sautéing
-Add the almonds and sauté for 4-5 minutes
-Roughly chop the bell peppers once they're done in the oven and add them to the pot
-Sauté for 1-2 more minutes
-Cover it with a lid so the steam can help break down everything for about 5 minutes
-Add the spices and stir until the mixture starts to leave its own oils in the pot
About ready to blend here
-Transfer the contents to a blender and first chop, and then purée in a pulsing manner. Make sure it doesn't become too watery
-Add the remaining 1 tbps. of oil to the pot and add the bay leaf, sauté for 2 minutes
-Add the blended contents back to the pot, stir, cover with a lid, and simmer for 8-10 minutes
-Remove from heat and set aside
For the meatballs:
-In a mixing bowl add the ground lamb, garlic, and green chili and mix by hand
-Add the spices and corn starch to the lamb and mix by hand
-Form out the meatballs. You should be able to get 16 1 oz. size balls. In my case, I had a bit extra so I added some to the romesco sauce to give a meaty depth to the sauce.
-Add oil to a frying pan and let the pan get hot.
-Place the meat balls in the pan and cook on each side for 2 minutes.
-Remove them from the pan and toss in with the romesco sauce
-Serve it with a pasta of your choice, or have it as is.
Optional:
If you can get your hands on some Ras el hanout, it's a great addition to this recipe for the meatballs. Add about 3/4 of a tbsp. when mixing your spices into the ground lamb.
Add salt along the way, as per your taste.
-Pre-heat your 375˚F
-Roast the bell peppers for 10-12 minutes once the oven has pre-heated
My approach was to roast them on an open flame, wash off the charred parts, and then slice the bell peppers
-In a pot, add 2 tbsp. of your oil and let it heat up to just before its smoking point (keep it at medium heat)
-Add the cumin seeds and sauté for 2-3 minutes
-Add the diced onions and sauté till translucent
-Add the garlic and green chillis and sauté till the onions are about to brown
-Roughly chop the bell peppers once they're done in the oven and add them to the pot
-Sauté for 1-2 more minutes
-Cover it with a lid so the steam can help break down everything for about 5 minutes
-Add the spices and stir until the mixture starts to leave its own oils in the pot
-Add the remaining 1 tbps. of oil to the pot and add the bay leaf, sauté for 2 minutes
-Add the blended contents back to the pot, stir, cover with a lid, and simmer for 8-10 minutes
Transferred back to pot after blending and left to simmer with bay leaf
-In a mixing bowl add the ground lamb, garlic, and green chili and mix by hand
-Add the spices and corn starch to the lamb and mix by hand
-Form out the meatballs. You should be able to get 16 1 oz. size balls. In my case, I had a bit extra so I added some to the romesco sauce to give a meaty depth to the sauce.
-Place the meat balls in the pan and cook on each side for 2 minutes.
-Serve it with a pasta of your choice, or have it as is.
I added a bit of lime zest for a pop of color. Who knew that an afterthought would've been such a great and welcoming addition to this dish? It introduced some subtle and light citrus notes.
Optional:
If you can get your hands on some Ras el hanout, it's a great addition to this recipe for the meatballs. Add about 3/4 of a tbsp. when mixing your spices into the ground lamb.
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