Indian Style Chicken Meat Balls....

There's always a time that I question my culture & values.. well I am human too you know.. This time it was a silly remark about how we can't have the Italian favorite home cooked spaghetti with meatballs in marinara sauce in Italian restaurants because the meat balls are made of beef/pork (I am not really sure) and our religion does not allow us to eat that.. We have a mental block to not consume any other meat than chicken, goat or lamb.. beef & pork are a big no no in the religion.. God knows how exactly that came into being..

But then yesterday, while trying to imagine things that I could do with some ground chicken lying in the freezer... the idea came to my mind.. that a masala chicken meat ball (similar to ground chicken kofta) should be made with good old spaghetti with some yummy sauce.. and what could be more yummier than old fashioned marinara sauce.. so here it is.. Spaghetti with chicken meat balls in marinara sauce... since it was weeknight.. the marinara sauce was store bought.. but I am sure.. you can make it at home with so much ease.. :)

Here's what I used..

• For chicken meat balls (Pure Indian style)
• 1/2 Lb ground chicken from the local butcher shop
• A paste of 5 cloves of garlic + 2 inches of ginger + 1 green chili + fistful coriander leaves + 8-10 mint leaves + 1 inch cinnamon stick + 4 cloves + wee bit water
• 1/2 white onion chopped finely
• salt + pepper to taste
• 1 tea spoon garam masala powder
• 3/4 cup of unflavored bread crumbs
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 table spoons of olive oil
• More olive oil for brushing/spraying during the baking process
• For Spaghetti & Marinara sauce
• 1/2 packet of spaghetti cooked al-dente as per packet instructions.
• 1 full cup of marinara sauce
• salt  + pepper to taste

Process

• Mix all ingredients under the chicken meatballs list in a bowl into a mixture that you can easily make into round shapes. Add more bread crumbs if you are not able to handle the mixture. The binding should be good.
• Grease a baking sheet (I line the baking sheet with aluminum foil so that its easy to discard and clean and spray it with olive oil spray.. you could use a brush and brush some olive oil on the sheet)
• Heat oven to 400 F
• Now, make lime sized balls out of the chicken mixture & place them on the baking sheet.
• Bake for around 20 mins & then check for the meatball to be cooked or not (with a toothpick of course)
• Turn after 20 mins and let it cook some more. Don't overcook, else the meatballs will dry out. 
• While thats happening heat a sauce pan (little wide mouth) and add wee bit of olive oil in it. Add the marinara sauce & salt + paper and stir it till its heated through. 
• When the chicken meat balls are ready, add them directly into the sauce and stir the whole thing until all meatballs are covered with the sauce. You may also have the meatballs all by themselves too.. add them to a curry or make a stir fry out f it.. everything will taste divine.. I promise.. 
• Take the cooked spaghetti in a big bowl & pour the sauce+meatballs directly on top of it.

The steaming paste with the chicken balls will give a nice white red contrast color to your dining table.. Enjoy hot hot hot !!