Melbourne is known for its fickle weather. We’ve had a couple of warm days which made me feel like summer hasn’t left us yet. For the last couple of days, however, the chill has finally set in to remind us that we are half way through Autumn.
It’s the time of the year where comfort food reigns my appetite. It’s the time of the year where my poor old stick blender is heavily used to ensure my soup is all smooth and velvety. It is also the time of year my cravings for curries are stronger than ever.
My last meatball dish has really set the motion to more meatball recipes. As much as I relish the convenience of cooking with mince meat directly (i.e. shorter cooking time and minimal prep), there’s something about rolling them into meatballs which makes me feel like the meal is more put together.
I confess that I have made this beef meatball curries 3 weeks in the row and we are still lovin’ it! From the cook’s perspective, it was an easy one dish meal, meat and vegetables all in one pan! From an eater and rice lover point of view, it is saucy and tasty with a kick to the palate. I love that it is a dish that calls for lots of steamy basmati rice to mop up the delicious sauce!
Ingredients
- 500g mince beef
- 1 Tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- Generous amount of freshly milled black pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 small brown onion, peeled & diced
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 2 Tbsps tomato paste
- 250g frozen chopped spinach
- 1 1/2 cup water
- Salt to taste
- Chilli flakes to taste (optional)
- Fresh coriander
- Fresh chilli, chopped
- Fried shallots
Instructions
- Before you start making the meatballs, add 1/2 Tbsp garam masala, 1 tsp turmeric powder and 2 Tbsps of water in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside as this is to be used to make the sauce later. [See Note 1]
- Add mince beef, 1 Tbsp garam masala, salt and pepper. Knead mince beef until pliable to form the meatballs.
- Shape meatballs in the size of a walnut (about 1tbsp of mince meat).
- Brown the meatballs in a lightly greased pan - they don't have to be fully cooked.
- Heat up 2 tbsps of cooking oil in the same pan which you pan fried the meatballs, over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add onion and saute until lightly brown. Then turn the flame to low, add ginger & garlic paste as well as the garam-masala-and-turmeric mixture you've prepared earlier on. Saute until the spices are aromatic and oil begins to separate from the paste (takes about 2 minutes). [See Note 2]
- Add tomato paste and continue to saute for another minute.
- Add chopped spinach and water. Mix well. Allow the sauce to cook for 30 minutes over low-medium with a lid on. Check after 10 minutes to make sure the mixture does not stick to the pan and the spinach is no longer frozen. Stir in the meatballs and cook for another 20 minutes with a lid on over low heat. [See Note 3]
- Season with salt and chilli flakes (optional) after the sauce has reached your desired consistency. Cook for another 2 minutes and the curry is now ready to serve.
- Garnish with your choice of garnishes just before serving. It is best served with rice.
Notes
[Note 1] This step will help to avoid the sauce from having a "powdery" texture. [Note 2] If you're using a non-stick pan while making this curry, you don't really need to add more water to prevent the mixture from sticking. If you use a stainless steel pan, you may need to add about 1/8 cup water to prevent the paste from sticking to the pan. {Note 3] If the sauce appears to be watery, continue to cook the sauce (without a lid) to reduce the sauce to your desired consistency. On the other hand, if the curry appears to be dry, add 1/8 cup of water at a time.
Oh, this is so my kind of dish – love the spiciness and team it with spinach – yum!
I am loving your photography of this beef kofta dish… it looks so flavoursome, aromatic and delicious. I definitely am wishing for a bowl now!
The images are beautiful! I may have to try adding this in our rotation.
Made this for dinner tonight. Unbelievably easy and delicious! Thank you!