This meatball curry recipe is packed with exotic Indian flavors. Juicy, tender meatballs cooked in a creamy coconut sauce that is flavored with Indian spices such as garam masala. This simple and easy recipe gets ready in just 20 minutes.
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My kids LOVE meatballs. I don't know why. But give them anything in the shape of a ball and it just suddenly becomes a favorite.
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 her 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 anymore.
Why make this curry?
- This meatball curry takes only 20 minutes to cook.
- The spices used here are easy to find in any supermarket or Asian grocery stores.
- Today, I have served it with steamed rice, Indian chapati alongside my quick and easy chicken curry.
- But, it also works wonderfully with sweet potato chapati, naan, paratha, or any other Indian bread.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Meat - I grew up eating these with Beef but I have often used Turkey too! Works great with both.
- Spiced - today, I am using classic Indian spices like cayenne, paprika, cumin, corinader, turmeric and garam masala. These can be found in most supermarkets on the spices rack these days. Alternatively, you can make this recipe with curry powder as I did in my meatball kofta curry.
- Yogurt - I have always used yogurt in this recipe to keep it authentic but you can also use 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 them. Breadcrumbs work the same way, but I use semolina because it's my mom's recipe.
Step by step instructions
Prepare meatballs
- Add all meatball ingredients to a bowl and mix well to combine.
Pro tip - Never over mix ground meat as the meatballs will become tough. - Shape the beef into small golf size balls and set aside.
Pro tip - Dip your hands in water or smear some oil on your hands. This will make it easier to work with. Otherwise, the mixture can be sticky.
Make the curry
- In a pan or cast-iron skillet saute onions in oil until translucent. Add ginger and garlic. Cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes, spices (cayenne, paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala). Saute another 2 minutes until fragrant
Pro tip - When cooking spices you want to cook on low with a little liquid to prevent them from burning. - Add the Greek yogurt. Combine well. Bring to a boil then simmer for two minutes.
Pro tip - Make sure there are no lumps when you add the Greek yogurt if necessary use a whisk to make it smooth. - Next, blend the curry to a smooth sauce like a soup using a hand blender.
- Pour the mixture back into the pot. Add ¼ cup water and bring it to a boil again.
- Once the curry comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and gently drop the meatballs one at a time. Shake the pan so the meatballs sink into the sauce.
- Partially cover the pot and let simmer on medium-low for about 10 minutes.
- Add in the lemon juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning. If necessary add a little water for gravy.
Pro tip - The consistency of a curry depends on what you going to serve it with. I like a little gravy when I serve it with rice but I prefer it thicker when I serve it with chapati or naan. - Enjoy!
Today I served this meatball curry alongside my lamb masala, Indian naan bread, spiced Indian potatoes.
More recipes with meatballs
Frequently asked questions
This meatball curry recipe will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to a month.
Absolutely, the spices and flavors in this dish work with chicken, beef, lamb, and pork too.
You can serve it with steamed rice or Indian bread. Sometimes, I serve it with our family's favorite coconut turmeric rice or fruit and nut pilaf. Indian chapati, roti, or naan are perfect with this. And, when I'm on a low carb diet I usually go with my cauliflower turmeric rice or mustard dill cauliflower rice.
For a side dish, I like to serve a vegetarian dish like
Black beans curry or Black Beans Coconut Curry
Channa Masala - Chickpea Curry or Kidney beans curry
Mushroom masala or aloo gobi (sauteed Indian cauliflower)
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Printable Recipe
Indian Meatball Curry Recipe
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Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb (500 g) Ground beef or turkey
- 1 teaspoon Garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon Ginger grated
- ¼ teaspoon Garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
- 2 tablespoon Semolina or breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Cilantro chopped finely
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
For the curry
- ½ cup Onions chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Ginger grated
- 1 cup Tomato chopped finely
- ½ cup (120 ml) Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon Cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
Spices
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne
- 1 teaspoon Sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon Coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
Instructions
Prepare meatballs
- Add all meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine.Pro tip - Never over mix ground meat as the meatballs will become tough
- Shape the beef into small golf size balls and set aside.Pro tip - Dip your hands in water or smear some oil on your hands. This will make it easier to work with, otherwise, the mixture can be sticky
Make the curry
- In a pan or cast-iron skillet saute onions in oil until translucent. Add ginger and garlic. Cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes, spices (cayenne, paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala). Saute another 2 minutes until fragrantPro tip - when cooking spices you want to cook on low with a little liquid to prevent them from burning.
- Add the Greek yogurt. Combine well. Bring to a boil then simmer for two minutes. Pro tip - make sure there are no lumps when you add the Greek yogurt if necessary use a whisk to make it smooth
- Next, blend the curry to a smooth sauce like a soup using a hand blender Pro tip - you can use a stand blender but make sure to cool the curry for a bit so you do not have any accidents. Make sure to keep a hand towel on the lid to avoid hot splashes.
- Pour the mixture back into the pot. Add ¼ cup water and bring it to a boil again.
- Once the curry comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and gently drop the meatballs one at a time. Shake the pan so the meatballs sink into the sauce.
- Partially cover the pot and let simmer on medium-low for about 10 minutes.
- Add in the lemon juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning. If necessary add a little water for gravy. Pro tip - the consistency of a curry depends on what you going to serve it with. I like a little gravy when I serve it with rice but I prefer it thicker when I serve it with chapati or naan
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- These meatballs work great with lean meat. Too much fat will result in misshapen balls as the fat cooks off.
- Make sure ground beef is thawed well so you do not have too much moisture in the meatballs.
- When working with meatballs do not overwork them. This makes tough meatballs. Instead, dip your hand in clean water and work them with a light hand. The water prevents them from sticking to your hands so it's easier to work.
- Make sure to cook the Indian spices. It's all about marrying those flavors. Add a few tablespoons of water to prevent them from burning but cook until you have a nice fragrance from the spices.
- Bring the curry to a boil but do not put the meatballs when the curry is boiling. Instead, put the meatballs on a light simmer. This way they won't break.
- Cook until the meatballs are just tender. Do not overcook as it will make the meatballs tough.
- Let the meatballs sit in the curry for a while this helps them soak up moisture making them moist and juicy. In fact, this curry is even better the next day.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Victoria
What a fantastic recipe. My meatballs never been so moist or tasted so good. I can't believe there was no need for an egg to bind!!
I measured the spices generously (except for the cayenne) and served it with a basmati pulao. Oh and as other people have commented, it is even better the next day. This will probably become a fortnightly staple in our household.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us Veena.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you for the lovely feedback, Victoria. I am so happy to hear everybody enjoyed this curry. Pulao sounds delicious.
Lozza
This is an amazing curry. My husband said it is as good as if not better than our local curry house (which we love 🙂 ). It will definitely be a dish that I cook again and often. The sauce was delicious, it reminded me a little bit of a masala sauce, but tastier. The meatballs are easy and tasty. They curry and meatballs taste just as good the following day. Thanks
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Lozza. I am so happy. It's my kids' favorite recipe too
Lyn
Hi Veena. Thank you, we really enjoyed this sauce, you saved my strongly flavoured, Indian pork rissoles. I bought a packet of Shish Kebob seasoning and followed the instructions to make meatballs. But they turned out to be dry and strong, so I was looking for a homemade sauce to simmer them in and yours was a winner for hubby’s dinner! I had most of your ingredients, so that’s good, but I didn’t have Garam Masala, so I used a little bit of my basic Indian flavours instead, turmeric and cumin. It didn’t need to be blended either, it was yummy. Popped the rissoles in and softened them until they were yummy. Thanks to you. 🥰
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Lyn. I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe. You can make garam masala at home too. Here, use my recipe. You probably already have the spices in your cupboard. Thanks for the feedback
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?