TANDOORI LAMB BALLS

Tandoori Lamb Balls image

Yield Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch balls

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground lamb
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (including stems)
Juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup Tandoori Spice Mix (recipe follows)
2 teaspoons salt
Tandoori Spice Mix
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the olive oil into a 9 × 13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.
Combine the ground lamb, bread crumbs, eggs, cilantro, lemon juice, tandoori spice mix, and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.
Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.
Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.
Tandoori Spice Mix
Mix together the ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne in a bowl. This spice mix will keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months.