Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Beginner
Season
Fall, Winter
Serves
4
Meatballs are a weeknight staple at my house, and this Indian variation is a great alternative to the classic Italian recipe. It works with practically any ground meat, and it’s amazing with this simple pumpkin curry sauce. It’s a comforting recipe that’s ideal during the fall and winter seasons, but the pantry staple ingredients that make up the sauce mean you can easily serve it any time of the year.
Ingredients
Indian-Spiced Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground venison (80/20), lamb, or turkey
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- 1 tsp. grated or minced fresh ginger
- ¼ of medium red onion, minced
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
- ¼ cup minced cilantro
1 tbsp. beef tallow or neutral flavored oil, such as avocado, for cooking
Pumpkin Curry
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil for cooking
- ½ medium red onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
- 1 (14 oz.) can pumpkin puree
- 1½ cups canned coconut milk (full fat)
- 2 tsp. garam masala
- 3 tbsp. tomato paste
- ¼ cup water
- Coarse sea salt to taste
For Serving
- Basmati or white rice
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Toasted naan bread
Also works with
Preparation
- Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs together in a large bowl and mix until it’s very well blended and emulsified. Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, roll the meat into golf-ball-sized meatballs. Set aside while you prepare the curry.
- To make the pumpkin curry sauce, pre-heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the coconut oil and once melted, add the red onion and sauté. Stir the onions around periodically until they are soft, about 4 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger. Cook for an additional minute until fragrant, then stir in the tomato paste until incorporated. Next, pour in the coconut milk, pumpkin puree, water, and season with the garam masala and a few heavy pinches of salt. Stir until well blended and let the mixture come up to a scalding temperature.
- Transfer to a high-powered blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree until it reaches a silky smooth consistency. Taste and season with extra salt if needed. Return the mixture to the saucepan, cover, and keep warm while you make the meatballs.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tallow or oil and once hot, lay the meatballs down. You might have to work in batches, don’t overcrowd the pan. After about 1 to 2 minutes of frying, use tongs and flip each meatball. The bottom sides should be golden brown. Fry the opposite side for another minute or two, then reduce the heat to medium-low and shake the pan to roll the meatballs around on their sides. Cook for about 5 minutes more, shaking the pan occasionally so that the meatballs cook evenly all the way around. Remove from the heat once they’re fully cooked.
- Serve the meatballs with rice, naan bread, and a spoonful of pumpkin curry sauce. Garnish with cilantro and extra salt if desired.
Note: This recipe makes a lot of curry sauce and you won’t use it all for this recipe. Save the extra sauce and chill in the refrigerator to thicken. It makes an excellent dip with crackers and naan bread, or it can be served as a sandwich spread with some shredded turkey and cheese.
Indian Spiced Meatballs
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Beginner
Season
Fall, Winter
Serves
4
Meatballs are a weeknight staple at my house, and this Indian variation is a great alternative to the classic Italian recipe. It works with practically any ground meat, and it’s amazing with this simple pumpkin curry sauce. It’s a comforting recipe that’s ideal during the fall and winter seasons, but the pantry staple ingredients that make up the sauce mean you can easily serve it any time of the year.
Ingredients
Indian-Spiced Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground venison (80/20), lamb, or turkey
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- 1 tsp. grated or minced fresh ginger
- ¼ of medium red onion, minced
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
- ¼ cup minced cilantro
1 tbsp. beef tallow or neutral flavored oil, such as avocado, for cooking
Pumpkin Curry
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil for cooking
- ½ medium red onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
- 1 (14 oz.) can pumpkin puree
- 1½ cups canned coconut milk (full fat)
- 2 tsp. garam masala
- 3 tbsp. tomato paste
- ¼ cup water
- Coarse sea salt to taste
For Serving
- Basmati or white rice
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Toasted naan bread
Also works with
Preparation
- Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs together in a large bowl and mix until it’s very well blended and emulsified. Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, roll the meat into golf-ball-sized meatballs. Set aside while you prepare the curry.
- To make the pumpkin curry sauce, pre-heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the coconut oil and once melted, add the red onion and sauté. Stir the onions around periodically until they are soft, about 4 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger. Cook for an additional minute until fragrant, then stir in the tomato paste until incorporated. Next, pour in the coconut milk, pumpkin puree, water, and season with the garam masala and a few heavy pinches of salt. Stir until well blended and let the mixture come up to a scalding temperature.
- Transfer to a high-powered blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree until it reaches a silky smooth consistency. Taste and season with extra salt if needed. Return the mixture to the saucepan, cover, and keep warm while you make the meatballs.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tallow or oil and once hot, lay the meatballs down. You might have to work in batches, don’t overcrowd the pan. After about 1 to 2 minutes of frying, use tongs and flip each meatball. The bottom sides should be golden brown. Fry the opposite side for another minute or two, then reduce the heat to medium-low and shake the pan to roll the meatballs around on their sides. Cook for about 5 minutes more, shaking the pan occasionally so that the meatballs cook evenly all the way around. Remove from the heat once they’re fully cooked.
- Serve the meatballs with rice, naan bread, and a spoonful of pumpkin curry sauce. Garnish with cilantro and extra salt if desired.
Note: This recipe makes a lot of curry sauce and you won’t use it all for this recipe. Save the extra sauce and chill in the refrigerator to thicken. It makes an excellent dip with crackers and naan bread, or it can be served as a sandwich spread with some shredded turkey and cheese.