This picture shows just half a recipe. I took one half to a potluck, and the other half I left home for the family 🙂

Another winner from the The Meatball Cookbook Bible!  My elder daughter has stopped by twice, in two days, for a bowl of leftovers. I knew she liked lamb, but I think this is the first time she has taken a shine to curry! As with the other recipes from this book, the dish is not complex, but it’s fun, a bit different and still has all the elements of family friendly comfort food. Well, if your family tastes lean to the slightly exotic, spicy side it is 🙂

I used the full 3 tablespoons of curry powder when I made this, but next time I’ll probably reduce that just a tad. The curry was just on the uncomfortable side of spicy for me, but I am a wimp, a real wimp, when it comes to hot and spicy food. I left out the dried apricots and the currants, in the meatballs, but I did add chopped dried apricots and some fresh parsley to the rice—the recipe below reflects those changes.

This recipe takes a bit of time, so I usually make the meatballs on Day 1 and the sauce on Day 2, adding the reheated meatballs into the curry sauce.

Lamb Meatballs in a Coconut Curry Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs—you’ll find them in the Asian section of your supermarket
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 8 green onions, chopped—use all of white part and up to 2″ of the dark green tops
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1¼ lbs ground lamb
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2-3 Tablespoons of curry powder
• 1 14-oz can coconut milk—found in the Asian section of your supermarket—do not use low fat, and do not use Cream of Coconut
• ½ cup chicken stock (or water)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold chicken stock or water
• Vegetable oil spray (Pam)

DIRECTIONS

To serve, you’ll need 4 servings cooked couscous, rice or rice pilaf. I served with rice—after the rice was cooked, I stirred in ½ cup chopped apricots and ½ cup chopped parsley, before putting the lid back on the pan and let it all steam for an additional 5-10 minutes.

1. Combine egg and soy sauce in a large bowl and whisk until smooth.  Stir in Panko and cilantro.  Set aside to soak.
2. Heat sesame oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then add green onions, garlic and ginger. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.
3. Add half of green onion mixture to bread crumb mixture and stir to combine. 
4. Add in ground lamb, and blend meatball mixture together by tossing gently. Do not compress mixture, toss. 
5. Form meat mixture into approximately 2″ meatballs—roll balls lightly between palms, and place formed meatballs on a foil covered, rimmed baking sheet—if desired, meat mixture or meatballs can be refrigerated for a few hours or overnight—be sure to remove remaining onion mixture from the pan and refrigerate that, too.
6. Preheat broiler. 
7. Spray meatballs with vegetable oil—Pam, or something similar—and broil meatballs for approximately 6 minutes. Shake pan, or turn meatballs half way through the cooking time. While meatballs are browning, finish the sauce.
8. Return frying pan with remaining green onions back to burner, and stir in curry powder and cook over low heat for one minute. 
9. Stir in coconut milk, chicken broth and dried fruit if you are using it—I stirred the dried fruit into the rice instead. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
10. Add hot meatballs to simmering sauce, cover, and let simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
11. Remove lid from pan, and add cornstarch and water mixture to bubbling sauce, stirring constantly.  Cook for 1-2 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
12. Serve sauce over hot cooked couscous, rice or rice pilaf (with maybe a simple steamed green vegetable on the side).

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today! Hope you liked the meatballs.  See you again soon!