Last updated on April 19th, 2024 at 06:31 pm
This Mutton Kola Urundai / Mutton keema balls recipe is my version of the favorite appetizer in Tamil Nadu. Made with cooked minced mutton and minimal spices and ingredients, these mutton balls are just perfect. It is crisp on the outside and just right inside with rich texture.
Be sure to check my Mutton Biryani recipe !
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Don’t you just want to grab one and eat this mutton kola urundai? Kola urundai is something like a South Indian version of mutton meat balls. Of all the mutton recipes, mutton kola urundai/mutton keema balls are a house favorite. Each district in Tamil Nadu will have several versions of kola urundais and probably each household has one version of kola urundais. This is one such versions of kola urundai / mutton balls recipe.
Why I like this recipe:
Kola urundai is usually made with cooked and uncooked mutton mince. The uncooked version is where I grind the meat in a wet grinder; although it results in excellent mutton kola urundai, it is difficult to clean afterward. Other versions are variations in methods or ingredients.
But this recipe is what I use most often. It is made with cooked mutton mince so it makes the process much easier. This is not a once-in-a-year kind of affair, you can make it whenever you want or whenever you want a nice spread of non-vegetarian dishes. Follow the simple steps to make the kola urundai.
Mutton Kola Urundai Recipe:
What goes into this mutton kola urundai:
- Meat: I like to use lean mutton meat for this dish. I usually ask my husband to tell the butcher to remove all that excess fat and then mince it up into fine bits. Otherwise, they just include those fat bits and mince it all up and it just becomes too fatty. Also, removing the extra fat prevents a lot of spluttering when you fry these kola urundai balls. You can also use frozen mutton mince, however, I find the frozen mutton mince is much tender, so take care while cooking it.
- Masala Paste: I sauté a handful of pearl onions until they are nice and brown. The sauteed pearl onions adds sweetness to the mutton keema balls. I dry roast some spices like fennel seeds and cumin seeds. Then I make a smooth paste in a mixer jar, using sauteed pearl onions, green chillies, and ginger-garlic paste. This ground masala mixed with the cooked mutton mince gives the Kola Urundai so much flavor.
- Thickeners: The masala paste itself is a thickener but peanuts and coconut add subtle sweetness and thickens up the kola urundai. More like fillers actually.
- Binders: Egg is added to bind everything together and it also makes the outer surface so crisp when deep frying the balls.
How to store these mutton kola urundai:
Serve these mutton kola urundai / muttom keema balls immediately, it just tastes better and more importantly crisp on the outside. These mutton balls do still taste good after the mutton kola urundai cools down.
If you have to store, then store uncooked mutton mince mix in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for up to a day. Any more than that, the mixture will begin to go bad. And, I do not recommend freezing this; it just doesn’t fry well after the freezing and thawing process.
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve this mutton kola urundai as an appetizer with onion salad.
- Serve it as part of a non-vegetarian feast/thali.
- It goes well with any curry or rasam rice.
- You can make kola urundai kuzhambu by adding these cooked or uncooked kola urundai to any mutton kuzhambu recipe like this one. Pair the curry with chilli 65 for a nice side dish.
Tips to make perfect kola urundai:
- If you can’t find minced meat, use fat removed (lean meat) boneless mutton.
- Instead of the whole spices – cloves, cinnamon and cardamom, you can use 1 tsp of garam masala.
- For a spicier version, add two more green chillies.
- The texture of the meatballs should be coarse, that is how you’ll get a crispy outside. Since we don’t use any breadcrumbs. And coarse texture will have a better mouthfeel.
- You can replace ginger and garlic with 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste.
- Ensure that the cooked meat is drained properly. We don’t want too much water which will make the mutton balls absorb too much oil.
- Follow the simple steps to make the kola urundai. You can add
- Instead of the whole spices – cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom, you can use 1 tsp of garam masala.
- Ensure to cook the mutton kola urundai/ mutton keema balls in enough oil and in medium flame. There should be space for the balls to float around; this will prevent them from sticking to the bottom. Medium flame will ensure that the outer and inner parts are cooked evenly.
- On the other hand, make sure you don’t keep a low flame.
- The mutton keema balls will look golden brown in colour when done, although it will darken once you’ve removed them from the oil.
- Don’t make big-sized balls; instead, roll them into small balls. This will give us nice results. A small lemon size is the ideal size.
- Drain the excess oil by putting the cooked keema balls in a strainer. Lining it with a paper towel will make the outer layer soggy and sometimes make the tissue stick to the balls.
More recipes you might like:
- Cauliflower 65/ Gobi 65 recipe
- 15-minute spicy chicken stir fry recipe
- Homemade falafels recipe
- Chicken Seekh Kebabs recipe
Kola Urundai | Mutton Kola Urundai | Mutton Keema Balls
Equipment
- Blender
- Saucepan
- Deep Fryer
Ingredients
To cook the meat:
- 750 g Mutton Keema , fat removed and minced* and washed
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
- Water , to boil
For the kola urundai:
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 130 g Pearl Onions / shallots , approximately a handful
- 5 medium Green Chillies , stalks removed
- 40 g Garlic , 8-10 garlic pods, peeled
- 15 g Ginger , peeled, approx. 2 inch piece
- 1 tsp Pepper Powder
- 1.5 tsp Fennel Seed Powder/ Sombu Thool
- 1.25 tsp Cumin Seed Powder/ Seeraga Thool
- 2 Cloves
- 2 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Cardamom Pods
- 60 g Coconut bits , or grated, approx 4 tbsp of grated coconut
- 30 g Roasted Peanuts , skin removed
- 1 medium Egg , free range
- Coconut Oil or Any Vegetable Oil , for deep frying
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, add the mince meat, turmeric and sea salt. Pour in water, enough to cover the meat. Boil it for 15 minutes. After the time is up, drain the meat by pouring it through a colander. Gently press it to push out water. (Use the water to make curry or discard it.)
- While the meat cooks, place a sauté pan on heat. Add the sesame oil and let it heat up. Once hot, add the pearl onions, green chillies, garlic and ginger. Sauté until the pearl onions are translucent and begin to brown.
- Now, transfer these from sauté pan to a blender or mixer grinder and add the peanuts in. Blend until you get a nice smooth paste, then add the coconuts and grind it until the coconut is broken down to coarse texture. Remove this paste to a mixing bowl. Set it aside.
- To the same blender, add the cooked minced meat and grind it until it is coarsely broken down. DO NOT blend until it becomes a paste. Pulsing it a few times will do the job.
- Transfer the ground meat to the mixing bowl which has the masala paste. Top it off with the egg and mix it all together thoroughly. Make tiny balls out of it, approximately 2-inch diameter.
- Heat the oil in frying pan. (Test with a tiny bit of meat mixture; it should immediately come up.) Once it's hot, add the balls to the oil one by one. Do not over crowd it; there should be enough room for them to float around.
- Fry them in MEDIUM heat for 4-5 minutes or until they are nicely deep golden brown in colour. Drain it and serve them immediately!
Notes
- If you can’t find minced meat, use fat removed (lean meat) boneless mutton.
- Instead of the whole spices – cloves, cinnamon and cardamom, you can use 1 tsp of garam masala.
- For a spicier version, add two more green chillies.
- The texture of the meatballs should be coarse, that how you’ll get a crispy outside.
- You can also replace ginger and garlic with 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste.
Made this? Got doubts? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
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