Photo: Dolon Prova · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Jammukashmir · Lunch

Rista

Traditional 4. Rista recipe

🧺 Ingredients

• 1 kg minced lamb (10% fat, 1000g)
• 1 tbsp salt (15g)
• ½ tsp ground cardamom seeds (1g)
• 1 kg lamb bones (1000g, for stock)
• 2 tbsp ghee (30g)
• 1 big pinch saffron threads (0.3g)
• 2 heads mawal/cockscomb flower (10g) [may substitute with food coloring if unavailable]
• 125ml freshly boiled water (125ml)
• 2 tbsp oil (30ml)
• 2 cloves (1g), crushed
• 4 green cardamom pods (crushed, 4g)
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (12g)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder (1.5g)
• 1 tbsp salt (15g)
• 4 cups water (960ml)
• ½ tsp ground ginger (1.5g)

👩‍🍳 How to make Rista

1. Process minced lamb with 1 tbsp salt and ½ tsp ground cardamom until smooth paste
2. Form into 12-16 meatballs (60-80g each)
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in large pan on medium heat
4. Brown meatballs in batches 2-3 min each side until light golden
5. Set browned meatballs aside
6. In same pan, fry lamb bones 3-4 min until lightly browned, breaking up any clumps
7. Add 4 cups water to bones, bring to boil, skim scum from top
8. Simmer bones 20 min to create light stock
9. Strain stock, discard bones, return liquid to pot
10. Heat stock to gentle boil
11. Add meatballs, simmer covered 15-20 min until cooked through
12. Reduce heat to low
13. Add cloves and crushed green cardamom, stir 10 sec until fragrant
14. Add red chilli powder and turmeric, stir 1 min (spices bloom in hot liquid)
15. Add salt, ground ginger
16. Stir well, ensuring all spices incorporate
17. Simmer uncovered 30 min on low heat (gravy reduces slightly, becomes thicker)
18. Soak saffron threads in 125ml boiling water 10 min (colour and flavour extract)
19. If using mawal (cockscomb flower), add to saffron infusion
20. Pour saffron mixture into curry, stir gently
21. Simmer 10 min more (red colour intensifies and spreads throughout)
22. Taste and adjust salt
23. Gravy should be "thin, non-spicy red curry" with meatballs suspended
24. Visual cue: Soft tender meatballs in bright red/paprika-coloured broth, thin gravy, saffron wisps visible, rich aroma of spices
25. ---

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