Indian-Spiced Meatball Curry...got milk?
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...got milk?
There's nothing like an Indian meatball curry with a spicy kick! I'm always craving spicy food, but to balance it out, I love pairing these meals with milk.
Scared of spice? Fear not with a glass of milk! While hot peppers contain capsaicin oil, which delivers the spicy punch to your taste buds, milk battles the oil with casein, which binds to the oil and magically lifts it away from your tongue! You can certainly breathe a sigh of relief if you get a little too pepper happy with your curry. Phew!
This recipe is written to be moderately spicy (medium-hot)! But if you really want to crank up the heat, add some extra Kashmiri chili powder and jalapeno peppers, like I love to do, and chug a glass of milk while you're at it!
Indian-Spiced Meatball Curry
Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients
Meatballs
1 lb ground lamb
1 small onion, finely chopped (squeeze out excess water with a paper towel)
2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1 medium jalapeno, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 large egg, beaten
Extra virgin olive oil
Curry Sauce
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 medium jalapenos, chopped
2 tbsp Indian curry paste or hot madras curry powder
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, or more to taste
½ tsp salt
1 (15 oz can) crushed tomatoes
½ tsp garam masala
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
Chive Chutney
¾ cup chives, roughly chopped
2 jalapeños, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
To Serve
½ cup kefir or runny yogurt
Freshly chopped cilantro
Steamed jasmine rice
Naan
Milk, to pair with the heat!
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, knead the meatball ingredients with 2 tsp olive oil. Roll the mixture between your palms to form about 20 1-inch balls.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil to medium-high heat. Add meatballs and brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes. Set the meatballs aside and keep warm.
To the same skillet, prepare the curry sauce by sautéing the onion over medium heat for 4-6 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, jalapeños, curry paste, kashmiri chili powder, and salt, and continue sautéing until the jalapeños are soft, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with 1.5 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Return meatballs to the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Adjust seasonings to taste, including Kashmiri chili powder for more of a burn and to deepen the red color of the curry!
While the meatballs simmer, prepare the chutney by adding all of the chutney ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth.
When the meatballs have finished simmering, stir in garam masala and cilantro. Serve the curry over steamed jasmine rice and garnish with additional chopped cilantro, yogurt, and chive chutney if desired. Serve with naan on the side.
Pair your meal with a healthful glass of milk help you handle the delicious heat of the curry!
If you loved this recipe, you will love my recipes for A Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala, Indian-Spiced Vegetable Soup, and Slow Cooker Indian-Style Black Eyed Peas!
