These Indian-inspired meatballs in curry sauce need nothing but rice and a big spoon!
I’ve always been a firm believer that food should be fun, easy (most of the time) and off the scale flavourful. These meatballs in curry sauce combine all three!
I came up with this recipe about a year ago when Brad and I were following a low carb diet. I like meat and veg but when that’s all you eat day after day, you have to get more creative than just grilling a steak with some spinach on the side.
Normally I make curries often and usually with chicken breasts or chickpeas and butternut squash. Not exactly sure what prompted me to go with meatballs that one fateful night but most likely boredom with the usual, and was I ever happy I did!
Fun fact: Meatballs are called “kofta” in India and they are shaped more like mini sausages than our meatballs.
The recipe for the one I am sharing today was adapted from a very inspirational and one of my favourite writers Madhur Jaffrey, although I might’ve inadvertently combined two different regions of India in one recipe by simply getting carried away and being me. It’s okay, we love unity, right?!
What I found most difficult about a low carb diet is a definite lack of starch to mop up all the sauces, hence the food ends up regretfully sauceless (Is it even a word? It is now!), and that, my friends, is just plain boring!!
As much as I enjoyed my shrinking waist line and my lean and healthy dishes, I was starting to miss my curries and rice! There was nothing wrong with a curry but rice was definitely on the forbidden food list. So all I had to do was to replace it.
I know you are probably thinking why not make cauliflower “rice”? I wish I could but something about cauliflower in large quantities just doesn’t agree with my stomach.
Happily we were on the biggest lentil kick at that time, and this particular recipe for Nepalese Red Lentil Dhal ,that Brad brought home from his year in Nepal, immediately sprang to mind.
And that is how we ate it. Indian spiced meatballs in curry sauce with Nepalese Red Lentil Dhal. Delicious!
So this recipe for meatballs in curry sauce happened one night and we loved it so much I vowed to blog about it, which I am doing …a year later.
What is pretty special about this recipe are the meatballs themselves. They are spiced with an array of warm Indian spices like cumin, coriander, cloves, ginger, cinnamon etc. Can you believe it!!
I am talking flavour here, not heat. That’s the curry’s job! The sauce is all about heat and BOLD flavour notes. I also finished it off with just a splash of single cream to tame all the heat just a little and threw in a bunch of chopped kale for some extra nutrition and colour! Feel free to use spinach, peas, beans…anything you like!
If you getting nervous here about your ability to pull off a real Indian taste, don’t be. I will teach you how to cheat!
I use Patak’s curry pastes in all of my curries. By the way, they are not paying me but I love their product so much, I am not ashamed!
I find curries made with their pastes are the best on the market and taste like they came from authentic Indian restaurants. And London, perhaps is the next place after India where the best Indian food is found!
For this recipe I used Madras spice paste, which is quite hot, so if you are not a fan of spicy food, I would recommend finding a mild curry like Korma or Tikka Masala.
I really hope you give my meatballs in curry sauce a try and when you do SHARE your photos with me on Instagram! Just tag @vikalinka and I will see them!
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 2 lbs lean ground pork
- 1 1/2 " long piece of ginger peeled and grated or 1 tsp dried ginger
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the curry sauce
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 inch long piece of ginger peeled and grated
- 1/4 cup cilantro stalks chopped
- 3 tbsp Indian curry paste not sauce
- 1-14 oz/400 ml can of chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup/250 ml water
- 1 cup black kale/cavolo nero chopped
- 1/2 cup/125 ml light cream/single cream
- 1 tsp garam masala
- cilantro leaves chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine pork, ginger, cumin, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt and plain yogurt.
- Roll into golf ball-sized meatballs and brown in 1 tbsp of vegetable oil until golden but not cooked all the way through. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Discard excessive fat but leave approximately 1 tbsp in the pan. Add onions, garlic, ginger and chopped cilantro stalks and cook over low heat without browning for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add curry paste and stir for a minute, then add canned tomatoes and water, stir to combine, return the meatballs to the pan, and spoon some curry sauce on them to coat them, then turn the heat up and bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add chopped kale and any other vegetables if using and cook uncovered for 10 minutes longer, stirring once in a while to avoid burning. In the last few minutes add light cream and taste for salt, add more if necessary. (I add no salt to this sauce as Patak's curry pastes are quite salty already!)
- Sprinkle with garam masala and chopped cilantro leaves.
- Serve with basmati rice, naan and/or lentil dhal for a low carb version.
Stella says
We made this today and it was DELICIOUS! It was the first time my fiance has ever voluntarily eaten kale and that was HUGE for him. We took your advice and made it with the side of Nepalese red lentil dhal. The red lentils were also wonderful and different. This is actually one of our lunch meal preps for the week. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
Comments like yours are the inspiration behind the reason why I blog, Stella! I absolutely love seeing people discover new things and enjoy them. Welcome to Vikalinka! 🙂
Lori Atherton says
My family are big fans of Indian cuisine and absolutely LOVED this recipe. They raved about the sauce. I followed the directions as written except I substituted fresh spinach that I had on hand for the kale and used Patak’s Tikka Masala curry paste as I couldn’t find their Madras curry paste at either of my local grocery stores. It was easy to make, and tasted even better. It is supposed to feed 6-8 but my family of four adults could not resist and ate it all in one dinner. Highly recommend!
vikalinka says
Thank you so much for such a lovely review, Lori! So pleased you enjoyed it!
Ashley says
Can this recipe be made using the instant pot?
vikalinka says
I am sure you can do it but I haven’t tested it myself, Ashley. If you do, let me know!
Skip in BFE says
Used this recipe base last night for a delicious meal.
Made my curry paste, and used butternut squash instead of kale. Slow-cooked everything longer and used heavy cream at the end.
Making curry is fun…. sooo many spices!
Btw, the meatballs were a bomb…!
vikalinka says
Happy you enjoyed it!
Carolyn McKinney says
This recipe is amazing! This has become a family favorite. Thank you!
vikalinka says
Thank you for a wonderful review, Carolyn!
Keely Edwards says
Made this dairy free by substituting the yoghurt for an egg in the meatballs and using a bit of coconut cream instead of cream. It was really delicious, I would make it again.
vikalinka says
Sounds delicious, Keely. My son recently went dairy free, so I am making similar substitutes lately!
Marwa says
I don’t live where i can find this curry paste, what can ve jsed to replace it?
vikalinka says
Hi Marwa, you can make a simple curry paste from scratch using this recipe for Cauliflower and Potato Curry Aloo Gobi.
Marwa says
Thanks for ur instant help and reply. To my surprise i did find the one u use here in the supermarket! Trying this for dinner tonight. Yay!! Will post later after trying it.
Gianfranco says
Excellent dish! Enjoyed immensely. It is one to keep!
vikalinka says
Thanks so much for a great review, Gianfranco.
Laurie-Ruth says
I am cooking this meal for a friend who cannot have garlic or cilantro. Will this still be tasty if I have to omit those? Thank you!
vikalinka says
I haven’t made this recipe without garlic or cilantro, so cannot tell definitely but I assume it will still taste good since there are many more spices involved.
Alana says
Excellent recipe, loved it. I used spinach instead of the kale. I found the pataks curry paste and I think next time I will up it a notch with another tablespoon. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I also think it would be great with lamb as well.
vikalinka says
Thank you so much for your feedback, Alana!
David says
I appreciated the ease and simplicity of this recipe.
vikalinka says
Great news! Thanks, David!
Maria Hewson says
Why did my meatballs went dry , is it because I baked them in the oven for 15 minutes instead of frying them ,
oh but the sauce was out of this world.
vikalinka says
Hi Maria, that could be the reason. They are only briefly browned on the outside and then cooked through in the sauce, so the cooking time is not as long.
Jaime says
My meatballs fell apart. What did I do wrong?
vikalinka says
Hi Jamie, I’ve never had this issue, so I am not really sure what exactly happened since I wasn’t in the kitchen with you. If you followed the recipe, it shouldn’t happen. I guess you can add an egg next time to hold them together better and use a non-stick pan to make sure they don’t stick to the pan when being fried.
Natalia says
My meatballs fell apart as well…and I did follow the recipe. It still tasted amazing tho!
Anny says
Add a teaspoon of cornflour,it helps in binding the meat
Shelley says
I’m cleaning out my freezer today and found 2 pounds of lean ground pork. I’m making these this afternoon! They sound delicious and we adore curry. Yum! I’ll probably add minced onion and garlic to the meatball mixture, just because I love those flavors.
vikalinka says
Oh yes, that recipe is such a keeper. I hope you make it more than once, Shelley!
Marjorie says
This recipe was a great success. Only thing I changed and would highly recommend is I used ground lamb for the meatballs. Fantastic flavour. Making again for grandkids this weekend with homemade naan bread.
vikalinka says
Ground lamb sounds delicious, Marjorie. I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Best, Julia
Lisa says
Wonderfully flavorful recipe. I added more fresh cilantro when serving. Thank you for sharing. I wii certainly make this again.
vikalinka says
Thanks for your feedback, Lisa! I love it with extra cilantro as well!
Nance says
Enjoyed the sauce but meatballs were bland and dry.
vikalinka says
Hi Nance, there are only two reasons why meatballs with 8 different spices could be bland; either your spices are out of date and need to be replaced or one of the most common reasons your meatball mixture was undersalted. Yogurt in the recipe adds moisture to the meatballs, so if yours were dry, try to increase the amount of yogurt next time you make them. Best, Julia
KROM says
Inlibe the idea of shredded cabbage instead of the kale.
Question – I made a restaurant style curry base (found in Pinterest) which was amazing, and I froze the extra servings for future use , as recommended. It is a great idea for a short cut, but Inwant to try a different recipe like this one. Can I substitute that for the Patek paste? My base is liquidy, so i am worri rd about consistency. Thanks in advance.
vikalinka says
If you love the taste of the paste you made, I would definitely give it a go. It doesn’t matter that it’s liguidy, just turn the heat up and cook it down towards the end of cooking time for desired consistency. I hope this helps.
~Julia
Jolene says
I’m cooking for 25. Three different proteins. Planning to convert this to a crock pot recipe, any recommendations or concerns? I think the meatballs will hold up and will add the cream at the last minute. Other thoughts?
vikalinka says
Hi Jolene, I have never made any type of curry in a slow cooker, only in a pressure cooker and it’s pretty straightforward. In my experience with slow cookers is that they generate a lot of liquid, so maybe reduce the amount of liquid you use, and I agree with you about adding the cream at the end. Good luck and let me know how it goes if you get a chance! Best, Julia
Tash says
The meatballs are moist and tender, this is a wonderful recipe that my entire family loved. I only had tandoori paste and it worked really well as an alternative
vikalinka says
Thank you for a wonderful review, Tash!
Lisa says
This is spectacular! My husband and I ate till we could hardly move! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
vikalinka says
My pleasure, Lisa! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much!
Christina says
These were AMAZING! I wanted to make them exactly as written but had to make some changes based on what I had on hand: Mixture of beef and pork, sour cream instead of yogurt, coconut milk instead of cream, and added shredded cabbage in addition to kale. SOOO good!!
vikalinka says
I love what you did to the recipe, Christina! And I am sure that adding cabbage is more authentic to Indian food than kale. Thank you for sharing! Best, Julia
Catherine says
You can get it in Superstore or Sobey’s. I’ve bought Patak’s many times in Fort McMurray.
Amrita says
This looks amazing.. and I’m definitely gonna try this. I was just hoping if you could help me with the Indian curry paste. I don’t think I’ll find the pathak’s curry paste here. Is there a substitute curry paste some thing which I can make at home itself?
vikalinka says
Hi Amrita, thanks for stopping by. I don’t have a recipe for a homemade curry paste on my blog unfortunately, but there are many on the internet if you Google ‘simple homemade curry’ or something similar. Alternatively, you can make the spiced meatballs and serve them with the Nepalese Dhal, the link for which is in the post. I hope this helps. Best, Julia
Leslie Cole says
Why the kale? And is there a substitute? I’m allergic to it, unfortunately
vikalinka says
Why the kale? It’s a personal preference. I don’t like curly kale but I love cavolo nero, which is delicious and incredibly nutritious. You can substitute it with spinach or skip it altogether. None of my recipes are prescriptive, so feel free to adjust it to your taste.
Pris says
I would like to know if Pataks curry paste is availbale in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. this is first time I heard of Pataks curry paste
vikalinka says
Pataks is available in Canada in most supermarkets. I left Canada almost 7 years ago and it was available then and is available now. Here is their Canadian website. https://www.pataks.ca/products
Neelam says
You can buy at superstore or any Indian grocery store on 34ave
Wendy says
Sounds really lovely but I don’t eat meat so can you make the meatball with quorn mince instead.thank
vikalinka says
Hi Wendy, I think it can work but I have no personal experience with quorn, so can’t be certain. I do however cooked quite a few recipes using Macsween vegetarian haggis and I can tell you it’s delicious!
Kate says
I made these last week and they were SO delicious, they are going to become a regular for us for sure! I did make a couple of tweaks to make it a little bit healthier – I used extra lean ground chicken, and instead of cream I just used some Silk coconut milk (from the carton) and it was still sooo good. They reheat really well too! Thanks for sharing! Have you ever tried freezing? Wondering how it would fare and if I could freeze in the sauce.
vikalinka says
Sounds amazing!! Thanks for your feedback.