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a pan filled with meatballs and a curry sauce topped with cilantro

Curry Meatballs Recipe

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5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Yield 24 meatballs (4 servings)
Category Main Dish
Cuisine Indian-Inspired
Author Lauren Grant

Description

An easy and incredibly flavorful meatball curry dinner featuring tender chicken and spinach meatballs and a luscious creamy curry.

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil divided
  • 1 teaspoon dried ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
  • 1 serrano, chopped
  • 1 large tomato (or two roma tomatoes), cut into chunks
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, divided + more for serving
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 2 cups chopped spinach
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can coconut milk or 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
  • Rice, jeera rice, naan, or roti for serving

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan over medium.
  • Add 1 teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon cardamom, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ½ teaspoon cloves; cook 30 seconds. Add 1 chopped onion and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and cook, stirring frequently, until starting to soften, 4 minutes.
  • Add 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, and 1 chopped serrano; cook 2 minutes.
  • Stir in 1 diced tomato and cook 1 minute.
  • Add ½ cup cilantro and cook 3 minutes; deglaze with 1 tablespoon vinegar, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until evaporated then remove from heat.
  • Transfer mixture to a blender and blend until a smooth curry paste is formed.
  • Add 3 tablespoons curry paste to a large bowl with ground 1 pound chicken, 2 cups chopped spinach, remaining ½ cup cilantro and ¼ teaspoon salt. Form into 24 meatballs using a #40 scoop or about 1 ½ tablespoons meat mixture per meatball.
  • Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty sauté pan over medium. Add meatballs in an even layer and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes (you may need to do this in batches to avoid crowding the pan).
  • Meanwhile, add 1 can coconut milk (or 1 cup yogurt) to blender with remaining curry paste and blend until smooth.
  • Add curry sauce to pan with meatballs, bring to a low simmer and cook until meatballs are cooked through, 5–8 minutes.
  • Season with salt to taste. Serve with cooked brown rice, jeera rice, phulka (roti), or naan and fresh cilantro.

Notes

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop in a skillet until warmed through. 
For longer storage, you can freeze the meatballs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently on the stovetop.
Substitutions: ghee can be used in place of coconut oil. Whole milk yogurt can be used in place of coconut milk.
If you aren't a fan of cilantro, you can use a combination of fresh mint and parsley.
Ground pork, beef or turkey will all work here. 
Make Ahead: The curry paste can absolutely be made ahead. Store the homemade curry paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or, freeze the curry for up to 3 months.
Since the spinach is mixed into the meatballs, it's important to finely chop the spinach.

Nutrition

Serving: 4gCalories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 8.5gProtein: 25.5gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 15gSodium: 731mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4.5g
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