Curried Meatballs

Ingredients

• •2 tablespoon Olive oil
• •6 whole scallions
• •2 whole jalapeños
• •6 cloves garlic
• •1 piece ginger
• •1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• •1 tablespoon garam masala
• •1 teaspoon ground coriander
• •½ teaspoon ground cumin
• •½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• •2 pounds ground beef
• •1 large egg
• •3 tablespoons plain yogurt
• •2 teaspoons kosher salt
• •¼ cup olive oil
• •4 medium onions
• •10 cloves garlic
• •1 piece ginger
• •3 whole dried chiles de árbol
• •4 teaspoons curry powder
• •4 teaspoons ground cumin
• •4 teaspoons ground turmeric
• •3 tablespoons ground coriander
• •1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• •1 can crushed tomatoes
• •1 whole bay leaf
• •1 tablespoon kosher salt
• •1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• •½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• •¼ cup cilantro

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Purée scallions, jalapeños, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and cayenne in a blender until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add beef, egg, yogurt, and salt. Mix with your hands until mixture is homogenous and starts to become very sticky like sausage meat, about 1 minute. Using a 2-oz. ice cream scoop to portion if you like, roll beef mixture into golf ball-size portions and place on baking sheet, spacing 1" apart (you should have about 24). Drizzle meatballs with more oil and bake until browned on top and cooked through, 20-25 minutes.

   25 min

2. 2.

   Meanwhile, heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Add onions, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent and starting to brown, 8-10 minutes. Stir in chiles, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and peppercorns. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is very fragrant and spices begin to stick to the pot, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, stirring and scraping bottom of pot, and bring to a boil. Add bay leaf, 1 Tbsp. salt, and 2 cups water; return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors have melded, 25-30 minutes.

   30 min

3. 3.

   Let curry sauce cool slightly, then transfer to a blender; blend until very smooth. Wipe out any bits remaining in pot and transfer curry sauce back to pot. Stir in lemon juice and cayenne; taste sauce and season with more salt if needed.

   10 min

4. 4.

   Gently nestle cooked meatballs into sauce, bring to a simmer, and cook until meatballs are heated all the way through, 10-15 minutes. Serve topped with cilantro.

   15 min

5. 5.

   Meatballs and sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; transfer to an airtight container and chill. Gently reheat meatballs in sauce, covered, thinning with water if sauce is too thick.