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
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- Transfer curry to a serving bowl; top with green onions. Serve with rice and lime wedges.