My grandmother made this unique dish that was my absolute favourite.  I’ve never seen meatball curry at an Indian restaurant but it’s so damn good that I really should patent it one of these days!

Sometimes I throw in a handful of chopped spinach just before the curry is cooked so my husband feels content that I’m serving the kids a dose of veggies.  The spinach tastes delicious cooked into the curry while adding texture and colour.

Ingredients:

 

Step 1:  The meatballs

  • 500 grams lean ground beef
  • 1 tbsp garlic puree
  • ½ cup bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

 

Step 2:  Cooking the onions

  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 1 ½ cups chopped onions
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 6 cloves
  • 6 cardamom
  • ½ tsp black peppercorn
  • 2 tsp whole cumin

 

Step 3:  Creating the curry

  • 1 ½ cups crushed tomato
  • 1 tbsp garlic puree
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt

 

Step 4:  Putting it all together

  • 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch x 2 inch pieces
  • 2 cups water

 

Step 5:  Final Touch

  • ½ cup freshly chopped cilantro

 

Directions:

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients by hand under step 1.

 

  1. Take ⅓ cup of the ground beef mixture and roll into a ball using the palms of your hands.

 

  1. Place each meatball on a tray and set aside.

 

  1. In a large pot, heat the oil and then add all ingredients under step 2.

 

  1. Cook the onions until they are golden brown, stirring periodically.

 

  1. Once the onions have turned golden brown, reduce the heat to low and add all ingredients under step 3 into the pot.

 

  1. Stir the ingredients together and increase the heat to medium. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring periodically, to enable the crushed tomatoes to form into a flavourful curry. The curry will appear slightly dry at this point.

 

  1. Add the water under step 4 into the pot and stir to combine all ingredients.

 

  1. Gently place the meatballs one at a time into the pot and then place the potatoes one at a time into the pot trying to fully immerse the potato pieces into the curry to ensure that they cook.

 

  1. Cover the pot and let cook for about 8-10 minutes.

 

  1. Remove the lid and stir to ensure that the potatoes and meatballs cook evenly in the curry. Return lid and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.  Once the potatoes are cooked, the curry is ready.

 

  1. Turn the heat off and sprinkle the freshly chopped cilantro into the pot.

 

  1. Serve the meatball curry with a side of Basmati rice.