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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.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil divided
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup chopped onion (½ large onion)
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
  • 1 serrano, chopped
  • 1 large tomato, cut into chunks
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, divided + more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 pound lean 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 cardamom, cinnamon and cloves; cook 30 seconds. Add onion and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and cook, stirring frequently, until starting to soften, 4 minutes.
  • Add garlic, ginger, and serrano; cook 2 minutes.
  • Stir in tomato and cook 1 minute.
  • Add ½ cup cilantro and turmeric and cook 3 minutes; deglaze with vinegar, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until evaporated then remove from heat.
  • Transfer mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Add 3 tablespoons curry paste to a large bowl with ground chicken, 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 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.
  • Meanwhile, add coconut milk (or yogurt) to blender with remaining curry paste and blend until smooth.
  • Add curry sauce to pan, 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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