{Versions & Verdicts} Liz’s Meatballs in Nutty Coconut Curry Sauce
Shallow fried meatballs, then simmered until cooked with nutty coconut curry sauce – a very tasty dish that goes well with white rice!
I know that you experience that feeling that there are recipes that will never leave your mind… even when you are about to sleep. 😀
This recipe is just one of those many recipes floating in my brain and I must say that it’s been there long time ago.
I think the reason of not making this sooner is… the time I saved this recipe, I was just beginning to explore some ingredients and afraid to use them at the same time.
I’ve lost contact with Liz for some time, but when I saw her name on the WordPress reader again, I immediately remembered this recipe I’ve been dying to try.
I was supposed to make homemade Thai red curry paste, but time did not permit me to. If only I could tell my boss – ‘Sir, can I take one day off because I want to make authentic homemade Thai red curry paste?‘…but I don’t want him to kick me out. So I didn’t. Instead, I got one from the local grocery store and finally made this dish.
Thai red curry paste is a fiery paste that is essential in Thai cooking. The said paste consists of red chilies, coriander roots, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime peel, cumin and coriander powder. There are variations that use shrimp paste as well. The paste is achieved by grinding the ingredients using mortar and pestle. Using a food processor is also okay, but the labor of love in grinding them by the traditional way will give you the best results. Ahhh – this makes me want to make my own, seriously. Maybe one day! 😉
Going back to the recipe…
The meatballs are lightly browned in a little oil, then dunked into the creamy, delicious sauce which consists of Thai red curry paste, curry powder, peanut butter and coconut milk. And take note – I used freshly squeezed coconut milk from freshly grated coconut milk. I am not a big fan of canned coconut milk. When it comes to coconut milk, I prefer it fresh most of the times, depending on the recipe.
The dish came out really good – so tasty and so full of amazing flavors! Of course, I served it on top of hot jasmine rice. Oh so yummy! 😀 I added another tablespoon of peanut butter and it gave me a thicker sauce, which I really loved. I love peanut butter based sauces, so that would explain why. 😉
Meatballs in Nutty Coconut Curry Sauce
- Servings: 4-5
- Difficulty: easy
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
- 500g ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
For the sauce:
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 4 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 beef cube dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Coriander, for garnish
Instructions:
- In a bowl, combine ingredients for the meatballs except for the cooking oil and mix using your clean hands. Shape into small balls.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, add cooking oil. Fry meatballs until brown. Place them over a stack of kitchen towels. Set aside. (I browned the top and bottom sides only and it worked just fine. Make sure not too let them stay in the skillet for a long time or else you’ll get tough meatballs.)
Meanwhile, make the sauce –
- In a large cooking pan with medium heat, add cooking oil. When hot, add in chopped onions and cook for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add in Thai red curry paste and curry powder. Mix thoroughly until fragrant.
- Add peanut butter and water with beef cubes. Mix until peanut butter is dissolved, then add coconut milk. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and stir carefully to coat. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes, making sure to stir from time to time to avoid from sticking.
- Add salt and pepper according to your taste.
- Add chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve with white rice.
Source recipe: Meatballs in Nutty Coconut Curry by My Favourite Pastime
Wishing you a day full of smiles! 😀 😀 😀
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42 Comments
Ginger Wroot
I love curry and coconut, and simply can’t wait to try this. Your photos are great too! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
–G
gingerwroot.com
Jhuls
Thank you so much, G! I hope you’d love it as much as I did. Would you let me know you thoughts? 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and happy Tuesday! x
CrumblesAndKale
Oh wow! Ive been looking for a great curry-recipe for ages and this just seems perfect! And I love the Italian-Thai mashup with curry and meatballs 😀
Jhuls
This is one of the best recipes I have ever tried! So glad to see you here, thanks for stopping by. 🙂
CrumblesAndKale
I’m a secret admirer 😉
Helen Fern
Thanks for sharing on the What’s for Dinner Linky!
Jhuls
Thanks to you, too, Helen! 🙂
eclecticredbarn
I love Thai food. This looks really great but I have never made homemade coconut milk.
Thanks for sharing at HIH party,
Bev
Jhuls
Thank you, Bev! I hope you get the chance to try this. 🙂
Dragons And Fairy Dust
This looks amazing, so vibrant. I love thai food
Jhuls
Thank you so much. I hope you try them some time. 🙂 Happy 2016! xx
kunstkitchen
Love that Thai curry…
Jhuls
Thank you, it was very delicious. 🙂
Eb Gargano
This recipe sounds so good! I love Thai food, but have never thought to use meatballs in a Thai red curry sauce before – I bet it tastes fab! I have pinned this for future reference. 🙂
Jhuls
It was really delicious- so flavorful and with a little kick. 😉 Thanks for stopping by and for pinning.
Patty Nguyen
Wow, Jhuls, fresh coconut milk! That totally makes up for the curry paste?? Haha, I can imagine you asking your boss to take the day off for that. 😛
Jhuls
The boss gave additional working hours. I am not giving up on the homemade curry paste, though. 😀 Thanks, Patty! xx
Lynz Real Cooking
What a delicious recipe JHULS! It looks yummy! The sauce sounds amazing!
joylovefood
I love peanut butter based sauces too, this sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing at What’d You Do This Weekend? Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season!
deliciouslynell
Yummo! A perfect meal!
Jhuls
This was indeed a perfect meal. 😀 Thanks, Nell. xx
Arl's World
These meatballs look so yummy Jhuls! Merry Christmas to you!
carolinescookingblog
I have to say I tend to make red curry paste with the food processor as although it may not be quite as good as hand-grinding, it at least gives a pretty great flavor and is better than most bought versions I can get (plus I know what’s in it). This dish looks great, love the meatballs idea. Thanks for sharing with us at FF!
Jhuls
One day I will make my own curry paste and will do it with mortar and pestle – goodluck to me! 😀 Thanks for co-hosting, Caroline. xx
Gretchen
I have made these several times and we all love them! Liz has some excellent recipes, glad you liked these little gems too.
Jhuls
Ahh, the dish is so tasty and so good! 😀 Thanks for stopping by, Gretchen. Have a lovely week! xx
apuginthekitchen
Love this, delicious and I am so loving meatballs. The Thai curry sauce is wonderful with them.
Jhuls
I would love to try this with a thinner sauce, but I know I’ll keep adding peanut butter to it. 😀
Thank you, Suzanne!
Liz
If I could eat off the computer screen, I would have this for my dinner tonight. It looks even more tasty than the one I made. I am drooling….that’s the best I can do. I am happy to hear you even used fresh coconut milk. it’s of course the best but my small town here has nothing of sorts. I know we used to be close then we kinda drifted because life becomes so busy sometimes but you are always in my mind. And by the way I still remember the roast chicken with potatoes and chick peas I made from your blog, the link below, It was awesome. We have probably made it at least fifty times. Have a wonderful weekend, Merry Christmas Happy New Year…and the best of 2016. Thanks for making the meatballs!!!
https://thenotsocreativecook.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/from-selmas-table-extraordinary-roasted-chicken-potatoes-and-chickpeas/
Jhuls
Life is much crazier these days, Liz. I just received an announcement from the boss that we will have additional working hours starting January 2016! I hope I can still manage to do the cooking, baking and everything in between. Ahh, I know myself – I will find a way! 😀
Your recipe is really good! And let me tell you – I finished everything! Well, almost! And of course, not in one sitting! I can’t stop eating the meatballs – they were really good! This is my first time to make something ‘Thai’ – thank you for the inspiration, Liz!
That roasted chicken with potatoes and chickpeas are really good! I am also making a batch this coming weekend. Thanks, Liz. And I am glad that you love the recipe.
I wish you the best of 2016 and happy holidays! xx
Jhuls
Hi, Liz. I was wrong when I said that this is the first ‘Thai’ recipe I’ve got. I have made something with Thai fish sauce and it was also delicious. Here’s the link if you want to check it out: https://thenotsocreativecook.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/chili-and-lemongrass-chicken/
J Seaton
If you do wind up making the curry paste from scratch, please let me know. I mean, I follow you, but I don’t want to accidentally miss it somehow. This looks seriously delicious and is right up my alley. I love that you added peanut butter to thicken it. Sounds so delicious.
Jhuls
I will keep you in mind if I make the curry paste, J. I don’t want anyone to miss it out, too. 😀 Thanks for stopping by.
Elaine @ foodbod
The sauce sounds fab! I think your boss should definitely understand the importance of making your own paste!!!! x
Jhuls
He just annouce addtional working hours! :'( I’ll just let myself dive into this delicious dish to comfort myself! 😀 Thanks, Elaine! xx
Elaine @ foodbod
Oh no! That’s not good!!!
skd
I could almost dig my spoon into the close up. Delicious hearty comfort food Jhuls. Maybe you can email this link to your boss. He is going to give you two days off-my guarantee 🙂
Jhuls
No more holidays for me, I took more than what is required! Anyway, it’s just few more days and it’s another year – maybe I could get a day off then! 😀 Thanks for stopping by and I am glad you liked the dish. 🙂
cookingwithauntjuju.com
Love the sauce Jhuls and the meatballs of course too. I don’t care for canned coconut milk either but not always easy to get fresh 🙂
Jhuls
I also like the canned ones, but not in this dish. 😀 Thanks, Aunt Juju! How are you preparing for the holidays? Have a lovely week!
lapetitepaniere
This dish is amazing and these meatballs look so hearty, Jhuls. I would definitely eat this over and over again 😀 Thanks for bringing this plate to Fiesta Friday and I hope you have a fabulous weekend! 🙂 xx
Jhuls
I know you love Thai food! 😀 Your comment means a lot, Linda. And thanks for co-hosting this week’s FF! I hope you have a great weekend. 🙂 xx