Another weeknight meal done in under an hour. And who doesn’t like meatballs? This is not a typical meatball and sauce combination, but rather exudes an Indian profile. We paired ours with a side of baby spinach and sliced garlic stir-fried in a wok.
Taken from an article in Bon Appétit Magazine, it informs us that puréeing onions allow you to harness all of that punchy allium flavor with none of the chopping and tears. Here, they’re blended up with yogurt and aromatics to create a mixture inspired by onion-and-yogurt pastes used in Mughal-style cooking.
Added to both the base of the curry and the meatball mixture; the purée thickens and seasons the sauce while keeping the meatballs tender and sweet. Take care to cook out the paste for the curry until drops of fat bead on the surface, which ensures that the final product will taste rich and rounded.
This coconut curry sauce is incredibly versatile. Not a red meat fan? Try cooking canned chickpeas, cubes of seared tofu, or browned 1″ pieces of skinless, boneless chicken thighs in it instead of the meatballs. Just make sure to cook the full amount of purée in the pan before adding the coconut milk and water; it will take a minute or two longer.
Creamy Coconut Curry Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, peeled, quartered through root end
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 1″ piece ginger, peeled
- 1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise
- ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp. mild curry powder (preferably S&B)
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. plus 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided
- 1 lb. ground lamb or ground beef chuck (20% fat)
- ¼ cup panko
- 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
- 1 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
- 6 scallions, dark green parts only, thinly sliced
- Cooked rice or flatbread and lime wedges (for serving)
Directions
- Purée 1 small onion, peeled, quartered through root end, 6 garlic cloves, one 1” piece ginger, peeled, 1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise, and ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt in a blender until smooth. Transfer ¼ cup onion purée to a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons mild curry powder, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt to remaining purée in blender and blend briefly to combine; set aside.
- Add 1 pound ground lamb or ground beef chuck (20% fat), ¼ cup panko, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, remaining 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal or 1¾ teaspoon Morton kosher salt, and ¼ cup water to ¼ cup purée in bowl; mix vigorously with your hands until smooth and meat is beginning to stick to sides of bowl. Wet your hands and roll lamb mixture into 1½”-diameter balls (you should have about 16).
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook half of meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total (meatballs will still be raw in the center); transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining meatballs and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
- Reduce heat to medium; add reserved onion purée to same skillet (stand back; mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring often, until purée thickens significantly and beads of oil form on the surface, 6–8 minutes. Add one 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk and ½ cup water, stirring to combine. Return meatballs to skillet, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until meatballs are cooked through, 8–10 minutes.
- Transfer meatball curry to a large shallow bowl; top with 6 scallions, dark green parts only, thinly sliced. Serve with cooked rice or flatbread and lime wedges alongside.
Recipe by Shilpa Uskokovic for Bon Appétit Magazine
Accounting for Taste 