Spicy Meatball Curry

A spicy meatball curry with turkey meatballs, turmeric and lots of other spices, this kofta curry is one of the best I've ever had.

MEATBALL CURRY

This meatball curry must be one of the spiciest dishes I have ever cooked myself. And I don't mean necessarily hot, the sauce is kind of hot but not extremely so, but really spicy.

I literally plundered my spice cabinet when cooking these delicious turkey meatballs curry. And not to forget the garlic, there is lots of it in there.

I made the turkey meatballs curry only recently for the first time, but such a big pot full of it, that we were able to eat it two days in a row.

My husband even got to take the last three or four meatballs for his work lunch as well and let me tell you, he didn't complain one bit about it. He usually eats what I cook without complaining (except when it comes to eggplants and a few other choice veggies), but he is not very generous with his praise.

He would say it tastes good once and maybe elaborate a bit if I insist, but he usually won't go over the edge. So when, during a meal, he tells me about 3 or 4 that it tastes really good without me even asking, and when the next day after eating the same meal, he tells me it tastes even better than the day before and then he takes the leftovers to work the third day, then I know I am on to something. 🙂

So this meatball curry is a keep recipe: easy, delicious, healthy and so full of flavor.

INGREDIENTS FOR MEATBALL CURRY

There are two main ingredients in this meatball curry: the ground meat and the spices.

Ground meat:

• I used turkey ground meat or mince because I like it and it makes this dish even leaner than it already is.
• Ground beef can be used instead.

Spices:

As mentioned above, you will need lots of them. Make sure your spice jars are not too empty before you start cooking and that you have enough garlic in the house. 🙂

The list of ingredients might seem long at first sight, but don't worry, there is nothing special on it, just the spices that most people already have in their cupboards.

You will also need fresh garlic and ginger.

Ground turmeric doesn't play the main role, like in most of the other recipes in this Turmeric series, but it is definitely an important part of the combination.

I used fresh turmeric, because I had it in the house, but feel free to replace it with ground turmeric.

Other spices:

Curry powder – your favorite kind. Just make sure you know how hot the curry powder is and use accordingly. For instance, 4 teaspoons of red curry powder will probably make this meatball curry inedible, it would be way too hot.
Garam Masala – also very easy to find nowadays, but if you cannot find it, you can always make your own garam masala.

Ground cumin

Ground coriander

Cayenne pepper

Dried red pepper flakes

Black pepper

TIPS ON MAKING MEATBALL CURRY

• The source for this recipe is Bon Apetit, but I've made a few changes.
• I used turkey mince instead of beef to make it lighter (and because I like turkey mince).
• I also reduced the requested oil quantity and I left out the chilies, I had to keep the kids in mind and it turns out that the meatball curry was hot enough as it was, without any jalapenos or chiles de arbol in it. I couldn't have used those anyway, there's no way I can buy them around here.
• Make sure you mix the meatball mixture well until it gets slightly sticky. I always do that with the hand.
• Wet your hands when forming these turkey meatballs or any other meatballs. It really does help, the meat will not stick to your hands.
• Search for the spices and measure them in a small bowl before you start cooking or while the onion-garlic mixture cooks. If you start looking for them just before they have to come into the pan, the onion mixture might turn to dark due to the long waiting time.
• You will need to puree the sauce but, if using a white hand blender, be aware that it will not be white anymore after making this sauce.
• Turmeric will make it yellow, so if you want to avoid that use a food processor, a dark colored blender or one made of another material than plastic.
• Also the sauce is very hot, don't burn yourself when blending.

HOW TO SERVE THE MEATBALL CURRY?

Serve the turkey meatball curry imediatelly or reheat it at a later point. The meatball curry is a great dish to serve to guests as it can be made well in advance and be reheated just before serving. Not to mention that it tastes fantastic!!!

You can serve the meatball curry with plain rice (white or brown), naan bread, couscous or other grains like quinoa or bulgur.

MORE MEATBALLS?

Chicken Meatballs in Sauce

Zucchini Beef Meatballs

Beef Kofta Recipe - Spicy Turkish Meatballs

Spanish Meatballs in Tomato Sauce - Albondigas

Polish Meatballs with Gravy

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Spicy Meatball Curry

A spicy meatball curry with turkey meatballs, turmeric and lots of other spices, this kofta curry is one of the best I've ever had.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Share GrowSaved! Rate

Course: Asian and Indian Recipes

Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 389kcal

Author: Adina

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

• ▢ Meatballs:
• ▢ 6 scallions
• ▢ 6 garlic cloves
• ▢ 2,5 cm ginger
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garam masala
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coriander
• ▢ 6 scallions/green onions
• ▢ 6 garlic cloves
• ▢ 2,5 cm/ 1 inch ginger
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garam masala
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coriander
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ 1 small pinch dried chili flakes
• ▢ 900 g/ 2 lbs ground turkey or beef
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• ▢ Curry sauce:
• ▢ 2 tablespoons oil
• ▢ 3 medium onions
• ▢ 10 garlic cloves
• ▢ 4 cm/ 1 ½ inch ginger
• ▢ 2 pieces fresh turmeric each about the size of your little finger
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground turmeric or use 4 teaspoons if you don't have fresh turmeric
• ▢ 4 teaspoons curry powder not too hot
• ▢ 4 teaspoons cumin
• ▢ 3 tablespoons ground coriander
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 can tomatoes
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 500 ml/ 17 fl.oz/ about 2 cups water
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ cayenne pepper to taste
• ▢ more salt to taste
• ▢ cilantro to garnish

Instructions

Meatballs:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/ 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil.
• Roughly chop the scallions, garlic cloves, and ginger. Place them in a (small) blender together with the lemon juice, garam masala, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, chili flakes and puree until smooth.
• Transfer to a large bowl and add the ground meat, beaten egg, yogurt, and salt. Mix well with your hands until the mixture is quite sticky.
• With wet hands form the meatballs, about 35 of them. Place them on the prepared baking tray and bake for about 15-20 minutes until lightly brown and cooked through. Take out of the oven and set aside.

Curry sauce:

• Chop the onions finely. Grate or crush the garlic cloves and grate the ginger and fresh turmeric. Heat two tablespoons oil in a large pan and cook the onions, garlic, ginger, and turmeric until slightly starting to get brown, about 8 minutes, while stirring often.
• Add the ground turmeric, curry powder, cumin, coriander, and black pepper and continue stirring until fragrant, about 1 or 2 minutes.
• Add the chopped canned tomatoes, water, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.
• Blend the sauce. If using a white hand blender, be aware that it will not be white anymore after making this sauce. Turmeric will make it yellow, so if you want to avoid that use a food processor, a dark-colored blender, or one made of another material other than plastic. The sauce is very hot, don't burn yourself when blending.
• Adjust the taste with lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt.
• Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer very gently for further 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with rice.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1469mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g

Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!