One-Pan Coconut Curry Meatballs
One-Pan Coconut Curry Meatballs
Ingredients
- Curry Sauce:
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 12 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 TBSP grated fresh ginger
- 1 TBSP red chili paste (or 1/2 a fresh jalapeno, diced)
- 2 TBSP coconut oil, divided
- 1 cup of coconut milk* (I used Almondbreeze's coconut/almond milk blend)
- 2 TBSP coconut cream
- 2 TBSP curry powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 TBSP of fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 3 TBSP mascarpone (in last step)
- Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground turkey (or can sub ground meat)
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 4 TBSP breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 TBSP fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1.5 tsp salt
Directions
- Step 1 Prepare the curry sauce: Sauté the onion in coconut oil until softened. Add the bell pepper and garlic and ginger in the coconut oil until fragrant. Season with the red chili paste, curry powder and salt. Add the canned tomatoes, coconut milk and cream and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Step 2 Prepare the meatballs: While the curry sauce is simmering, mix all the meatball ingredients in a bowl until evenly combined and then shape into golf-ball sized meatballs.
- Step 3 Blend the curry sauce: Once the vegetables are soft, add the cilantro, remove the sauce from heat, let cool for 5 minutes then blend until smooth.
- Step 4 Cook the meatballs (*See note below about browning vs. simmering the meatballs): Heat 1 TBSP coconut oil to the same pan and gently add the meatballs, browning on all sides (for about 5 minutes. Return the sauce back to the skillet. If it’s too thin, add up to a 1/2 cup of water keeping in mind that it will reduce more as the meatballs simmer. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Step 5 Spoon out 2-3 tablespoons of the cooking sauce and whisk it with the mascarpone. Set aside. Serve meatballs over couscous or rice. Drizzle with the mascarpone sauce and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
As the last few months have dragged on and we’re clearly in this pandemic thing for the long haul (with not much end in sight), I’ve started experimenting with lots of different flavors to try to keep things interesting. I actually originally bought the curry powder to finally make curried chicken salad (been craving it all quarantine!) but this recipe had been on my backburner so it finally seemed like the perfect time to try it too! The longer we are home, the more I try to push myself in the kitchen, might as well take advantage right? I’m cooking 6 out of 7 dinners a week – and most meals in between! – so I’ve gotta mix it up! My family have been great (and patient) guinea pigs, but I’ve now gotten a few friends in on the recipe testing too!
This recipe has now been vetted (and given two thumbs up) by one of my best friends, Avery, and a chef in her own right. In fact, a lot of recipes on this blog over the years have been made with and/or inspired by her (see our Pan con Tomate and Spring Green Menemen for example ) so I’ll definitely give her credit where credit’s due. And she wears her hat as recipe tester very seriously. Case in point, for this recipe, she requested it in advance, shopped specifically for it, studied the ingredients and directions closely and then vetted each step. She had mostly minor – albeit very constructive feedback (which is so important in a recipe tester!) – but overall the results are in and this is a home-run!
For for any skeptics out there (there’s always a skeptic!), in case you don’t buy just one person’s opinion, she also had her Mom (another kitchen maven!) taste the final product too so this has now gotten two thumbs up two times over. Not to mention, my husband and au pair also loved it. I paired it with Moral of the story – it’s damn GOOD and you should try it ASAP! Looking for the complete package? We served ours over Whole Wheat Couscous with a side salad of cauliflower tabouleh. Avery served hers over spinach and brown rice.
Comment below and let me know what you think!
*NOTE ABOUT COOKING THE MEATBALLS:
So you’ll note above that in Step 4 I suggest browning the meatballs first before adding the sauce back. This decision was based on some of the constructive feedback I received from Avery and something I considered doing but didn’t when I originally made (and photographed) the recipe. I now vote for browning them (can you see the beautiful golden brown on these meatballs below?!), but you can definitely make your life easier (and make less of a mess) if you choose to simply cook the meatballs in the sauce instead. The only change this will make to the recipe is a slight increase in cook time. If you decided to go this route, in Step 4 just return the blended sauce back to the skillet first, then add the meatballs directly to the sauce, and simmer for about 30 (not 20) minutes to ensure they are cooked through.
Photo Credit: Avery Winn
