Kofta - Beef Meatballs in a tomato sauce:

2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cloves
1 black cardamom
1 green cardamom
2 inch cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
½ teaspoon chopped ginger
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander

fresh cilantro to garnish

Heat the cooking oil in a saucepan. Add all whole spices. Wait a minute or so then add chopped onions. When onions are sautéed and turn light brown add garlic and ginger. Let it cook for a couple of minutes and then add half of all the ground spices. Keep stirring and then add chopped tomatoes and after stirring for a couple of minutes add a cup of warm water and leave it to simmer.

In a separate bowl, mix ground beef and the rest of the spices. After mixing it well, make the meatballs and start dropping them in the simmering mixture. Let all the balls cook for about 15-20 minutes. There should be a little bit of water/gravy left around the meatballs. You can reduce the water by turning the heat high, depending on how much of a gravy you would like. Garnish with chopped cilantro. If you are a cilantro fan, you can add some fresh cilantro to the ground beef before making the balls.