Cold & rainy- the weather has been like this for few days. Although wanting to stay in bed all day with a tea mug on my side, this afternoon, I yearned to take a walk outside. After a week of grey, the warmth of sun rays glistening through the rain drops still clinging on the window were calling me. I put on the boots and walked out, shivering, looking for a cozy corner. It was fiercely windy but sitting on a corner bench as to block the gusts, I soaked up the bright sun. As the rays percolated through thick knits of my gloves, I felt a magical sense of rejuvenation and warmth.The clean feeling after the rains always draws me, the blue skies softly feathered with clouds, the biting humid air,wet cobbled pavements, the vivid green of fauna. ..It feels as if everything had been renewed, repainted on nature’s canvas.
I walked back, constantly admiring the crispness around me. Sun was fading behind the cloud cover, the dullness was getting an upper hand again. Stepping inside, I quietly settled myself in the kitchen, soup was the only thing on my mind. Whenever I have a desperate longing to nestle myself in a cozy blanket slurping on a steaming bowl of broth, this meatball soup is what I resort to. Not only is it comforting but intensely flavorful. I have a particular liking for clear & brothy soups and this recipe is just that.
Dad always insists that this soup tastes better the next day. Amid cooking the meals to be eaten within in the next few hours, I saw mom mixing spices with the mince, pinching the meat, squeezing the balls, murmuring all the while about the non ending kitchen chores. Her kitchen was overly busy during winter evenings, soups were prefixed to regular meals, any one coming back from work or school wouldn’t settle without a bowl.
The soup preparation takes a little extra work, but since you will be making a pot full, it will last you for at least a day or two and yes dad is right, it tastes much best the next day. If you add a handful of rice, which you totally should, this can even make a super supper!
Mutton Meatball Soup
Equipment
- Mixing bowl, Dutch Oven
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb (1/2 kig) minced mutton (You can use minced lamb, chicken, pork or beef)
- 3 Thai green chillies (adjust to tolerance)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 inch fresh ginger shoot,finely chopped
- 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 egg
For the Soup
- 2 cloves
- 1 tsp corinader seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 tejpatta (indian bay leaf)
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes adjust to taste
- 1/3 cup onion paste (I add roughly chopped onions to blender & make a smooth paste adding little or no water)
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste I use microplane/hand grater to quickly grate 2-3 cloves of garlic & fresh, peeled shoots of ginger)
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika
- 2 large tomatoes pureed in a blender, yield 1 cup (or use canned tomatoes)
- 3.5-4 cup hot water
- Salt to taste
- Garnish – fresh cilantro leaves, fresh lemon juice (optional), chopped onion, chillies etc
Instructions
- In a bowl, place all the ingredients  for the meatballs. Using your fingers, gently combine everything. Dont squeeze the meat, keep it as fluffy as possible. Spread some oil on your palms and pinch lime sized balls of the mixture and line them on a plate. Cover with a cling film and set nearby till ready to use.
- Using a mortar & pestle or coffee grinder, coarsely grind cloves, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Set aside.
- In a wide-mouthed pot (pot should be wide enough so that all the meatballs can be placed without crowding), on medium,heat oil to smoking point. Temper the oil with cinnamon stick &Â tejpatta. Saute for 5-7 seconds
- Add the chilli flakes and immediately odd the onion & garlic-ginger paste next, reduce heat to low,fry till the color is light brown and the raw smell is gone,about 5-7 minutes.
- Continue on the low medium heat and add the ground spices along with red chilli powder, tomato puree, sugar and salt. Mix everything and fry for another 7-8 minutes or till you see oil separating on the sides of the pot.
- Add hot water next and on medium heat, check the seasoning, it should be sharp salty and bring the broth to a boil.
- Once the broth is boiling, reduce heat to low and wait for a minute. Carefully, layer the meatballs into the simmering broth one by one. Make sure to have enough water that the meatballs are covered. Dont stir else they will break. Cover the pot and let cook for 10-12 minutes.
- We like the meatballs firm and cooked through and hence the cooking time.You will need to adjust the time depending on the tupe of mince meat used. To check whether the meatballs have cooked to your liking, after 5-7 minutes of simmering in the broth, using a fork take out one ball and cut into half. You will be able to decide on extra cooking time depending on how pink it is on the inside.Â
- Once done switch off the stove and let sit covered for at least 30 minutes, undisturbed. Whenever ready to eat, reheat on low, discard the tejpatta & cinnamon stick, garnish with cilantro, squirt of fresh lemon juice and serve.
Notes
- To make this soup more hearty, you can add 1/3-1/2 cup cooked rice to the broth.Â
- If using chicken mince, avoid using ground chicken breast, rather use dark meat.Â
- Avoid using too lean or too fatty mince. I usually for a 85/15 or 90/10 blend.Â
Soup looks so flavourful, I love the wintry, rugged ambience in your photography, Gorgeous!
Beautiful! !
Such gorgeous pictures… im loving specially the last pic…
And ofcourse delicious looking soup…
I love this soup and the color is gorgeous! I too like a runny soup but a thick cream one with flavors works for me as well. I pretty much love soup any time 🙂
tempting and super inviting .. ..wish to try it out
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Superb post Tanvi!! The pictures are so gorgeous!! This soup is sure to warm up the coldest of days 🙂
The soup looks delicious. I am also mostly a brothy, clear soup kinda gal.
A gorgeous soup! It looks and sounds ever so tasty.
I hate cold and rainy weather. I prefer snow in winter…
Cheers,
Rosa
wonder why you don’t post often. such beautiful photographs of the soup along with a narrative writing, make me feel that you should post often.
This is beautiful. I like all kinds of soups but a spicy one is my most favorite. I wonder if i’ll be able to vegetarianize this in some way…
Omg that looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it out! I have some minced meat in my freezer that would be perfect for this!
who resist to that super tempting soup,definitely this soup is one of my fav,love to finish that bowl.
Helle Tanvi,
even as a Vegetarian I have to say that this soup just looks gorgeous! Amazing photos – and I like a lot the look of the bowl you present the soup in. Lucky that I found your beautiful blog which I would love to add it to my blogroll if you don’t mind.
Best, Claudia
My kids love meatballs (not necessarily spaghetti) and this soup sounds hearty and looks so good! Love your dark background photos… the soup stands out beautifully!
this meatball recipe sounds so good and loved that brothy soup. I like soups of all kind- brothy, thick creamy 🙂
That sounds delicious and hearty.
And, oh, I wish it would rain here too. Its very sunny!
I am so thrilled I found your blog. The recipes are amazing and the photographs are mouthwatering! I love meatballs and this version with mutton sounds delicious.
wow. love these koftay – only you could make koftay look so beautiful! the ultimate comfort dish – my mom adds boiled eggs or potatoes to the dish too. 🙂
i’m hoping the weather will stop being so gloomy here 🙁
Wow!! The meatballs look so delicious!! The idea of using them in a soup is great!! Lovely snaps!! Do visit my blog at- http://www.rita-bose-cooking.com/
I made this with moose meat. It was incredible.
We’re in gloomsville here too – after a week of pure sun, it’s clouds for miles! This is such a beautiful dish, made even better by your knack for making comfort food look extraordinary. I appreciate your opinions on mutton/lamb/chicken. I thought about making it with chicken, but will avoid it since, as you said, it can get quite dry!
Your pictures are beautiful. This looks heavenly.
Your pictures are beautiful. This looks heavenly.
Nice recipe the meatbal is a superb dish i love it alot. Thanks. Clickrecipe
Surely gonna try this ….lovely clicks..
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Do you think turkey would work for this? I just happen to have ground turkey in the fridge and wondering if I can use it. Thx!
Absolutely! Just check the doneness the way I have explained in the last steps of the recipe so that you dont overcook it 🙂