Chicken meatballs in curry

This luscious curry with chicken meatballs can be savoured as a sauce with pasta, or with red rice, making it a healthy combination. The traditional version of the curry with chicken meatballs is made with fried chicken meatballs, but I baked them which taste equally good.

A general misconception is that curries are unhealthy and full of fat. That’s definitely not the case with homemade curries, unlike the ones served in restaurants which are laden with oil and coconut milk.

Curries can be very healthy and there is a lot of variety too- curries with lentils, beans, vegetables, chicken, egg, fish, goat, prawns or just about any vegetable or meat. Curries are so easy and versatile; you give me some onions, tomatoes and chillies, I can make a tasty nutritious curry in a hurry!

Ingredients: (for a family of 4)

For the chicken balls:

Minced chicken – 500 gms
red onion – 1, finely chopped
ginger garlic paste – 1 teaspoon
chilli powder – 1/2 teaspoon
cumin powder – 1/2 teaspoon
white of 1 egg
powdered oats/bread crumbs – 1 tablespoon
oil – 2 teaspoons
salt and pepper

For the curry:

shallots – about 10- 12
ginger – 1-inch piece
garlic – 4 cloves
tomatoes – 2
chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
coriander powder – 1/2 teaspoon
turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
garam masala powder – 1/4 teaspoon
salt to taste
grated coconut – 1 tablespoon
almonds – 10
oil – 2 teaspoons
cilantro – to garnish

raw chicken meatballs on a sheet pan ready to be baked — raw meat balls

baked chicken meatballs on a sheet pan — baked chicken meat balls

Instructions

Wash the chicken mince and drain out the water completely. Mix all the ingredients for the chicken balls and shape them into small balls. Arrange them in a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Preheat the oven at 220°C for 10 minutes. Place the tray in the oven, bake for 10 minutes, then flip the chicken meatballs and bake for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the curry. Make a paste out of the shallots, ginger and garlic. Puree the tomatoes. Heat oil in a pan, add the shallot paste and saute until it starts to brown. Then add the tomato puree and heat until the mixture thickens. Now add all the spice powders, salt and 1 cup of water, cover and let it boil for about 15 minutes at medium heat. Make a paste out of coconut and almonds.
The chicken meatballs would be ready by now. Add the meatballs and the coconut paste to the curry and let it boil further for 10 minutes or until the required consistency is reached. Take off the heat and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy with pasta, rice or bread of your choice.