Coconut Curry Beef Meatballs

Here’s your new favorite curry recipe. Adapted from Bon Appetit, these curried meatballs can be made well ahead of time and reheated and served with rice, yogurt, and pickles for a perfect meal. Don’t want to use beef? Substitute with lamb. Just don’t skimp on the alliums and spices.

• 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled
• 1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise
• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek, Indian, or Iranian yogurt
• 2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup panko
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
• 1 13-ounce can coconut milk
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• Cooked rice and lime wedges, for serving

1. Puree onion, garlic, ginger, chile, and yogurt in a blender until smooth. Transfer 1/4 cup onion puree to a large bowl. Add curry powder, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to remaining puree in blender and blend to combine; set aside. Add ground beef, panko, pepper, baking soda, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 water to 1/4 cup puree in bowl; mix vigorously with your hands until smooth and meat is beginning to stick to sides of bowl. Wet your hands and roll beef mixture into 1 1/2-inch diameter meatballs (you should have about 20).
2. Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook half of meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total (meatballs will still be raw in the center); transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining meatballs and oil.
3. Reduce heat to medium; add reserved onion puree to same skillet and cook, stirring often, until puree thickens and beads of oil form on the surface, about 6 minutes. Add coconut milk and ½ cup water; stir to combine. Return meatballs to skillet, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until meatballs are cooked through about 10 minutes.
4. Transfer curry to a serving bowl; top with green onions. Serve with rice and lime wedges.