Indian Spiced Rice Balls with a Ginger/Lime Yogurt Dipping Sauce.

It's that time again.
Recipe ReDux monthly challenge. I wasn't sure I would have the time to post anything but there was a dish I have wanted to make for too long to remember, so I put the ingredients on my shopping list and crossed my fingers.

I figured if I miss the deadline I could still post the recipe.

June Theme: Celebrate a ReDuxer!
For ReDux’s birthday month, let’s celebrate each other! Pick a fellow ReDuxer, go to their blog and either make one of their recipes or create one of your own inspired by theirs. In your post, give your readers a little intro to this blogger, what you like about this blogger/their blog and either link to their recipe you made or share your brand new “inspired” creation.

My Reduxer is The Foodie Physician and her recipe was Shrimp Biriyani and can be found here at Cooking with the Doc. Sonali (The Doc) won our California Dairy contest a few months back and her entry impressed me enough to want to spend some time checking her other recipes out.

I always wanted to make Biryani (or Biriyani) but the fact that The Nudge will not eat Indian food, I put this into my wish list. When I saw this challenge I knew it was time.

I thought if I made a small side using Indian spices I could persuade him to be more adventurous.
It worked. I served him a small scoop of just the rice a few days ago (which he thought tasted good) and it was time to check my dish off my list.
By the way, I did not tell him it was of Indian origin. He thinks curry is in all of them. And until recently I could not figure out what spice made the curry unpalatable to us. It was fenugreek. Now I make my own without the fenugreek.

I took that rice and make an Indian version of that iconic Italian appetizer Arancini.
I have to say, these came out perfect and with an orange/ginger/line yogurt dipping sauce, were delicious.

Biryani Rice Balls
Makes about 24 balls

Spice blend:
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1 star anise
* 1 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Rice: 
* 1 cup dried Jasmine rice, rinsed
* 2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil like safflower or grapeseed
* 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
* 1 1/2 teaspoons grated or minced garlic
* 1 teaspoon grated or minced ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
* 1/8-1/4 teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper

Balls:
* 1/2 cup white sauce
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in saucepan. Mix 1/2 cup flour with 1/4 cup milk and add it to the butter. Once it thickens remove from the heat and let it cool. Mix 1 egg into cooled sauce.
* 1 cup dried bread crumbs in a shallow bowl (I use aluminum pie plates)
* Low moisture mozzarella (Sorrento is my go to)
* 1/2 cup minced chicken, ham, or beef
* 2 cups prepared biryani (recipe above)
* Vegetable oil for frying

Yogurt:
1 container plain Greek yogurt
Mandarin Orange Ginger Vinaigrette
Scallions 

Cook the rice at least the day before and refrigerate. All the spices get into the rice and it does make a huge difference.

I made my rice in the microwave.
Rinse the rice and place it into a microwave safe casserole dish with a lid.
Add the spices and the vegetables.
Cook on high for 5 minutes.
Cook on medium power (#5) for 15 minutes. Let it sit, covered until it cools.

Starting with 1/4 of white sauce, add to rice mixture and stir. We want a consistency of wet sand. Something moist enough to hold a ball shape but dry enough that it won't stick to your hands. If it's too dry add 1 tablespoon at a time until it is moist but not mushy (like a moist meatloaf mix).

Using a 1 ounce scoop (medium), wet your hands, release the scoop into the palm of your hand and with a melon baller, make a divot in the rice and stuff some meat and a mozzarella cube into the divot, wet your fingers and work the rice up, around and over the cheese. Roll like a meatball and drop into the dry breadcrumbs. Coat the balls with the crumbs and place on a sheet pan. The white sauce acts as the glue that will adhere the crumbs. Place the balls into the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Fill a dutch oven with 1 1/2 inches of oil and heat to 350 degrees.
Using a slotted spider, slide 2 balls into the oil at one time. These fry up quickly, probably only 2-3 minutes.

 I served these at room temperature and could have eaten them all!!!