Kashmiri Meatballs (Kashmiri Koftas)

2 lb Ground lamb
1 Piece fresh ginger, about 1 1/2 inches long and 1 inch thick, peeled and finely grated
1 tb Ground cumin seeds
1 tb Ground coriander seeds
1/4 ts Ground cloves
1/4 ts Ground cinnamon
1/8 ts Grated nutmeg
1/4 ts Freshly ground black pepper
1/8 ts To 1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 1/4 ts Salt
5 tb Plain yoghurt
7 tb To 8 T vegetable oil
2 Inch stick cinnamon
5 Whole cardamom pods
2 Bay leaves
5 To 6 whole cloves
1 c Warm water

Combine the lamb, ginger, cumin, coriander, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, grated nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne, salt and 3 Tablespoons of the yoghurt in a bowl. Mix well. Wet your hands with cold water and form 24 long koftas, sausage shapes, about 2 1/2 - 3 inches long and about 1 inch thick. Heat the oil in a very large, preferably non-stick frying pan (or use 2 frying pans). When hot, put in the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, bay leaves and whole cloves. Stir for a second. Now put in the koftas in a single layer and fry them on medium-high heat until they are lightly browned on all sides. Beat the remaining yoghurt into the 1 cup warm water. Pour this over the koftas and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer for about half an hour, turning the koftas around gently every 7-8 minutes. By the end of the half hour, no liquid other than the fat should be left in the frying pan. If necessary, turn up the heat to achieve this. When you get ready to serve, lift the koftas out of the fat with a slotted spoon. Leave the whole spices behind as well.

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