Indian Meatball Curry Recipe – Meatball Curry Indian Cooking
This meatball curry recipe is packed with exotic Indian flavors. The meatballs are juicy, tender and cooked in a creamy yogurt sauce that is flavored with Indian spices such as cumin, coriander, and sweet smoked paprika. This simple, easy and effortless recipe makes cooking Indian meatball curry at home a breeze.
Indian Meatball Curry Recipe – Meatball Curry
My kids LOVE meatballs. I don’t know why. But give them anything in the form of a ball and it just suddenly becomes edible.
This is a very authentic Indian Meatball Curry that my kids loved eating with grandma. I remember eating it as a kid and she would often make it for my kids when we went there on vacation. So just in honor of keeping her memory for them, I do not tamper with the recipe.
I will be honest and say that I did try once. I added spinach inside the meat and my son goes. “Mama this is not the same as Nana’s meatball curry!! Can you ask here again for the recipe”! HA!! I know, busted! So in honor of my mom (who I miss every day of my life), I do not tamper with the recipe.
Indian Meatball Curry Recipe – Meatball Curry
So Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)
- Meat – I grew up eating these with Beef but I have often used Turkey too! Works great with both.
- Spice Mix – I have given you a traditional spice mix that mom used because that’s what I still use. But I do know that not everyone has all the Indian spices. However nowadays a good blend of Indian Curry Powder is quite similar to this spice mix. So a good curry powder as a substitute will work just as well.
- Yogurt or Coconut Cream – I have always used yogurt in this recipe to keep it authentic but often when I need to make it Kosher or keep it non-dairy – I have used coconut cream. Both taste absolutely delicious but obviously, the one with coconut cream will have a coconut flavor.
- Semolina – This helps keep the meatballs moist and juicy so do not omit Breadcrumbs work the same way but I still prefer semolina – I think it’s less obvious. (not sure how to explain that -ha !)
Indian Meatball Curry Recipe – Meatball Curry!
This meatball curry can be served with as a meal on it own with just steamed rice or with some delicious Indian Chapati. Today we made Indian dinner so I made this Meatball Curry along with my Slow Cooked Lamb Masala (recipe coming soon), Spiced Indian Potatoes and Chapatis.
Indian Meatball Curry Recipe with Lamb Masala and Chapati
Recipe – Indian Meatball Curry – Meatball Curry Simplified (Save/Pin)
Ingredients
For the Curry/Sauce
- Onion – 1/2 cup (1 medium) chopped
- Garlic – 1 tbsp minced
- Ginger – 1 tbsp grated
- Tomato – 1 large chopped (about 1 cup)
- Yogurt or coconut cream – 60 ml (1/ 2 cup)
- Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
- Cooking oil – 2 tbsp
- Salt -1 tsp
- Cilantro – 1/4 cup chopped
Traditional Indian Spice Mix (or substitute with 2 tbsp Curry Powder)
- Coriander – 1 tsp
- Cumin – 1 tsp
- Chili powder or Paprika – 1 tsp
- Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
- Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
For the Meatballs
- Ground turkey or beef – 500 grams
- Garlic – 1 small grated
- Ginger – 1 tsp grated
- Garam masala – 1/4 tsp
- Chili powder or paprika – 1/4 tsp (optional)
- Semolina or dry bread crumbs – 2 tbsp
- Salt and pepper to taste
Indian Meatball Curry Recipe Progress Pictures
Method
Marinate and Prepare the meatballs
- Add all meatball ingredients and mix well to combine.
- Do not over mix as the ball will become hard.
- Form small golf size balls and set aside.
Make the Curry
- Heat oil in a saute pan.
- Saute the onion for two minutes.
- Add ginger and garlic. Cook for another minute.
- When the onions are translucent – add spice mix powders along with the chopped tomatoes.
- Saute well for about a minute.
- Add 1/4 cup water and let cook for another five minutes stirring often so the spices don’t burn.
- The mixture should have turned deeper in color.
- Add yogurt (or coconut cream) – Stir well.
- Cook for two more minutes.
- With a hand blender puree, the mix to a smooth curry – It will look lighter and smoother.
- Add 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil.
- Once the curry has come to a boil, lower the flame to a simmer.
- Spread the prepared meatball in the curry.
- Sprinkle the chopped Cilantro but do not stir.
- Partially cover the pot and let simmer on medium low for about 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes – add in the lemon juice.
- Check the meatballs are cooked.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Check consistency – add water if necessary.
- Serve with steam rice or Indian bread.
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Indian Meatball Curry Recipe – Meatball Curry
Indian Meatball Curry Recipe
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Equipment /Tools
Ingredients
For the Curry/Sauce
- 1/2 cup (2.82 oz) Onion chopped
- 1 tbsp (0.52 oz) Garlic minced
- 1 tbsp (0.52 oz) Ginger grated
- 1 (1 ) Tomato chopped
- 60 ml (0.25 cups) Yogurt or coconut cream
- 1 tbsp (0.5 floz) Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp (1 floz) Cooking oil
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Salt
- 1/4 cup (0.25 cup) Cilantro chopped
Traditional Indian Spice Mix (or substitute with 2 tbsp curry powder)
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Coriander
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Cumin
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Chilly powder or paprika
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) Garam masala
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) Pepper powder
For the Meat Balls
- 500 grams (1.1 lb) Minced turkey or beef
- 1 clove (1 clove) Garlic grated
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Ginger grated
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) Garam masala
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) Chili powder or paprika optional
- 2 tbsp (1.04 oz) Semolina or dry bread crumbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Marinate and Prepare the Meatballs
- Add all meatball ingredients and mix well to combine.
- Do not over mix as the ball will become hard.
- Form small golf size balls and set aside.
Make the Curry
- Heat oil in a saute pan.
- Saute the onion for two minutes.
- Add ginger and garlic. Cook for another minute.
- When the onions are translucent - add spice mix powders along with the chopped tomatoes.
- Saute well for about a minute.
- Add 1/4 cup water and let cook for another five minutes stirring often so the spices don't burn.
- The mixture should have turned deeper in color.
- Add yogurt (or coconut cream) - Stir well.
- Cook for two more minutes.
- With a hand blender puree, the mix to a smooth curry - It will look lighter and smoother.
- Add 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil.
- Once the curry has come to a boil, lower the flame to a simmer.
- Spread the prepared meatball in the curry.
- Sprinkle the chopped cilantro but do not stir.
- Partially cover the pot and let simmer on medium low for about 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes - add in the lemon juice.
- Check that the meatballs are cooked.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Check consistency - add water if necessary.
- Serve with steam rice or Indian bread.
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Meatball Recipes – Indian Meatball Curry
Indian Cooking – Indian Curries and more from Scratch
Catherine
Thursday marks the anniversary of my mom’s passing. I miss her dearly too and wish I could cook the way she did…cooking is my way of feeling close to her when she’s not here. This dish is beautiful and sounds so, so good! I would love to try it! xo, Catherine
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Catherine. Sorry to hear about your mom. I know the feeling. Cooking is one way for most of us to remember mom by. Isn’t it?
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
Yep!! Mom’s cooking was always extra special and I understand about missing your mom. I used to talk to mine at least once of not twice a day. After my dad passed away I knew how lonely she was. She sure did love to cook — I guess I got that from her. I’ve never made a lot of curry but your meatball recipe looks fantastic. We love our meatballs and with curry it would certainly have lots of flavor!! I’m pinning!! Looking forward to making the recipe.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Marisa. Yeah talking to mom is always the best enh? I use to love talking to her and would have a hard time keeping the phone down. I too got cooking from my mom. She was amazing.! I do hope you try this recipe – you will love it if you like curry.
Adriana Lopez Martn
Curry is one of my favorite recipes and dishes. With so much flavor and the pairings are also fantastic. Love to add rotti and basmati rice to mine. I am so hungry now.
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely Adriana. Rotti and Basmati would make an awesome combination.
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife
Yummy! This sounds delicious. It’s really cool that you have such a fun recipe to pass down! 🙂
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Marylnn – Yes I love making my mom recipes – it takes me to my childhood
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh
Sounds like a really great comfort food. I’ve never had many recipes with curry, but I bet the meatballs give it the perfect addition.
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely Joanna. Meatballs in curry really are delicious. They soak up all the sauce and get really moist and tender. You will love it.
Catherine
I made this tonight. It’s absolutely delicious! Thankypi so much for this recipe. I tripled the recipe so we could have somr for lunches. It was so tasty, there won’t be as much for lunches as I thought, lol. It is a very easy recipe to majr. I had all the ingredients on hand. I was a little doubtful about cooking the meatballs in the sauce because I always brown meatballs first. This worked perfectly! They were just saturated in the delicious taste of the curry. The curry sauce is so good that I could enjoy eating it alone with the rice. I used ground turkey for the meatballs. I think I will try this same curry with chinks of chicken meat, too. This recipe is a keeper.
Veena Azmanov
Aww thank you so much Catherine! SO happy to read this comment. Thank you !! It will definitely taste good with chicken or any group meat balls. Yes the meatballs if left in the gravy absorbs the juices so beautifully. Thank you Catherine