Anglo-Indian meatball curry with coconut rice
serves
6
"Mum would make this very frequently when we were young. I thought it was just a dish she made up, but in fact it’s a staple of Anglo-Indian cuisine." - Brendan King
Recipe note: Begin this recipe at least 3 hours ahead
This recipe is by Brendan King from Derrel's
Ingredients (35)
- 2 tbs ghee
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 1 green capsicum, finely chopped
- 3 small green chillies, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2cm piece fresh ginger (10g), finely grated
- 1 bunch coriander, leaves and stems separated and finely chopped
- 3 slices white bread, crusts removed
- 800g beef mince
- 1 tbs ground cumin
- 1 tsp white pepper, (see note)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, (see note)
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, (see note)
- Coriander leaves, to serve
Gravy
- 2 tbs ghee
- 12 curry leaves
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6cm piece fresh ginger (30g), finely grated
- 3 small green chillies, sliced
- 2 red onions, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tbs tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tbs ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric (see note)
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (see note)
- 3 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 tbs malt vinegar
- 1/2 bunch coriander, roughly chopped
Coconut rice
- 3 cups (600g) long-grain basmati rice
- 2 tbs coconut milk powder
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 2 cardamom pods
- 2 cloves
- 1/2 cinnamon quill
- 2 tsp ghee
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
Don't forget you can add these ingredients to your Woolworths shopping list.
CloseMethod
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1.For the meatballs, heat a medium frypan over high heat. Melt the ghee and add onion, capsicum, chilli, garlic, ginger and coriander stems. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes, until onion is golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
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2.Place bread in a small bowl and cover with water. Stand for 1-2 minutes to soften. Place mince in a large bowl with 1 tbs fine salt and knead with hands to fully combine. Squeeze excess water from bread and add to mince with cooled onion mixture, spices and chopped coriander leaves. Knead with hands to fully combine. Roll heaped 1 tbs measures of mixture into balls and place on a large tray lined with baking paper. Chill, covered, for 2-3 hours or, if time permits, overnight, for flavours to develop.
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3.For the gravy, heat the ghee in a large saucepan over high heat. Add curry leaves, garlic, ginger, green chilli and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, until onions are lightly golden. Reduce heat to medium. Add tomato paste, spices and tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for 10-15 minutes, until tomatoes are completely broken down. Add 400ml water and bring to the boil. Add meatballs, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through and gravy has thickened. Season to taste and stir in malt vinegar and chopped coriander.
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4.Meanwhile, to make the rice, wash rice in a large bowl until water is clear, then drain. Transfer to a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add remaining ingredients with 4 1/2 cups (1.125L) cold water and stir until well combined. Bring to the boil over high heat. Cover with lid, reduce heat to very low and cook, without stirring, for 15-20 minutes, until water is absorbed and rice is cooked. Season and fluff up with a fork before serving.
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5.Sprinkle meatballs with extra coriander Serve with rice on the side.
Recipe Notes
Kashmiri chilli powder is available from South Asian and specialty grocers.
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