I created this curry many years ago. I would sometimes sit and daydream about recipes, usually about Indian foods and curries. I liked the idea of making minted lamb meatballs, I also think mint goes great with chilli.

This ended up being the recipe that I used when I applied for MasterChef. Even though the producer had to eat it cold as we were not provided with heating facilities in the interview, it was a big hit.

It has always been a favourite of my friends. It has a sweetness to it and with the mint and chilli it makes this dish unusual but delicious. The mint sauce binds the balls well so no need to add egg.

• 1 kilo lamb mince
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 3 tbsp. mint sauce
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. oil for frying
• 4 shallots finely diced.
• 2 red bird’s eye chillies chopped.
• 250ml lamb stock
• 400ml tinned tomatoes, chopped.
• 1 tbsp. soft brown sugar
• 12 baby plum or cherry tomatoes
• 75g green beans, halved (can use frozen)
• 100ml natural yoghurt
• 30g fresh mint to serve (optional)
• Curry paste
• 2 tbsp. coriander powder
• 1 tbsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. cracked black pepper.
• 4 large cloves of garlic, crushed.
• 3” chunk of ginger, grated and chopped
• 1 tbsp. tomato puree
• 1 tbsp. mint sauce
• 1 tbsp. tamarind
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. paprika

• Place the mince into a bowl with the salt, mint sauce, garam masala and paprika; mix until well combined.
• With wet hands, start to form even balls. You can use an ice-cream scoop to make these perfectly round, but I don’t think these need to be perfect. Make sure they are compact enough as lamb does tend to break up quite easily. Set aside. (It is a good idea to make the meatballs ahead and place into the fridge, this will help the balls stay together.)
• Paste: whisk all paste ingredients together and set aside.
• Heat the oven to 180 degrees.
• Heat your oil then start to fry the meatballs in batches, carefully turning them so each side is browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• In the same pan add the shallots; cook until browned. Add the chillies along with the paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Pour in the stock, the tinned tomatoes, and the brown sugar. Let this bubble away for another couple of minutes. Place the meatballs into this sauce and cover with a lid. Put into the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the tomatoes and green beans, stir gently to not break the meatballs, then place back into the oven uncovered for 10 minutes. This allows the sauce to reduce a little and the meatballs to brown.
• Carefully remove the pan and let it cool for 5 minutes before stirring in the yoghurt, the reason to not add it when piping hot is so it does not split. I like to add to a corner and quickly whisk into the sauce. Once combined and creamy turn the heat back on the stove a gently warm through.
• Serve with a sprinkle of mint leaves.