Crunchy Tandoori Chicken Balls

I hate cooking every other day besides Sunday.

On Sunday's, I've got the whole day at my leisurely disposal. There's no rush and I have the time to whip up as many wierd, mostly edible concoctions that I want. So, with a jar of half-used tandoori paste that's threatening to commit suicide, I decided to flex my Masterchef muscles.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion (peeled, roughly chopped)

3 garlic cloves (peeled)

1 large carrot (roughly chopped)

2 large flat brown mushrooms (roughly chopped)

1/4 cup pearl barley

500g organic chicken mince

3 teaspoons tandoori paste (I used Sharwoods)

1 - 2 teaspoons greek yogurt

pinch salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)

1/4 cup breadcrumbs (approximately)

1 cup polenta (approximately)
oil for pan

METHOD

1. In a stick blender, process the onion, garlic, carrot and mushrooms until they are finely diced. I processed each vegetable individually, though you can probably do them mixed all together to save time. Put in a large mixing bowl.

2. To the mixing bowl add the raw pearl barley, chicken mince, tandoori paste, yogurt and seasoning. I put in quite a bit of chilli as I like spicy food, but you can omit this. I also think fresh coriander would be nice to add (I didn't have any at the time).
3. Use your hands or a fork to mix the ingredients together. I prefer to use hands, so you can feel the mix coming together. The mix will be quite moist and sticky. Add as much bread crumbs as required for the mix to become less sticky, but more tacky. You want the mix to hold together well, yet not be so wet that it sticks all over your hands.

4. On a tray or on the kitchen bench, pour out an even layer of polenta - this will be for rolling the chicken balls in.
5. Use a teaspoon or tablespoon (depending on how big you want the balls to be), scoop a spoonful and roll into balls with your palms. Roll the chicken balls into the polenta so that it is covered all over. You can cover them as thickly or thinly in polenta as you like. I covered mine in just one single, quite light coating.
6. Heat your pan to around medium-high heat. Add oil. I used only half a teaspoon, which I spread very thinly on the pan. You can also use more oil if you intend to shallow fry for a crunchier coating.

7. Cook chicken balls on all sides until cooked and crunchy on the outside. Be  careful not to burn the outside.
8. Serve with greek yogurt as a dipping sauce. Would also be nice with tzatziki, as the fresh coolness of the cucumbers would work nicely with the heat of the tandoori and chilli.