When I write recipes, they arise either from an idea that I want to explore in the kitchen. Others begin with a memory. These juicy tender Goan meatballs in a luscious tangy tomato curry are both.
My late grandmother, Lucy made these meatballs when I was child growing up in Bombay (Mumbai), India. I’d look forward to this dish everytime I visited her home. What gave it away was the warm sweet scents of the spices emanating from her kitchen, I knew what we were eating for lunch immediately. Served over plain steamed rice alongside a salad and braised shredded cabbage with potatoes.
My grandmother’s version of this meatball dish involved pan-frying them gently in her cast-iron skillet before simmering it in the rich tomato sauce. Now I’ve made this recipe numerous times over the years because it fondly reminds me of those days at her dinning table. But my version has changed too. I’ve adapted her recipe, and applied what I learned about the science of cooking meat. The result is a tender meatball that’s juicy, served in a fragrant tomato curry seasoned with curry leaves, Kashmiri chile, cumin, coriander, and tamarind.
This recipe appears in my my new cookbok, Fundamentals of Flavor, and I wanted to share it with you as the book makes its way out into the world. I hope you’ll cook it and make it a part of your kitchen repertoire too.
Print
Goan Meatballs in Tomato Curry
The addition of baking soda helps meat retain water and increases juiciness, and I’ve applied this principle to my grandmother Lucy’s meatball recipe. Baking soda raises the pH, which changes the electric charges on the amino acids in the meat proteins, making them bind and hold water more efficiently. I share her meatball curry recipe here, but you can also make the meatballs and use them as you would in pasta, sandwiches, or even on pizzas. These typically are pan-fried in oil, but here I bake them in the oven
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
Meatballs
1 lb [455 g] 90 percent to 95 percent lean ground beef
½ tsp baking soda
4 oz [115 g] raw chorizo
1 shallot (about 2 oz [55 g]), finely minced
½ cup [60 g] panko
1 large egg yolk, lightly whisked
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 green chilli, such as bird’s eye, jalapeño, or serrano, finely minced
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
2 Tbsp chopped mint leaves
2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp ground turmeric
Curry
2 Tbsp ghee or neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as grapeseed
10 to 12 fresh curry leaves
1 shallot (about 2 oz [55 g]), finely minced
3 garlic cloves, grated
2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
One 14 oz [400 g] can crushed tomatoes
½ tsp tamarind paste, or more to taste
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
Cooked rice or flatbread for serving
Instructions
- To make the meatballs, place the ground beef in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the baking soda and 2 Tbsp water, and mix. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F [200°C]. Spray or brush a baking sheet with oil.
- Add the chorizo, shallot, panko, egg yolk, garlic, green chilli, cilantro, mint, ginger, salt, and turmeric to the ground beef and combine. Roll the meat into 2 Tbsp balls, using a cookie scoop or measuring spoon, and place them on the prepared baking sheet. You can also wet your hands with water when shaping the meatballs, which will prevent the meat from sticking to your hands. You should get approximately 25 meatballs. Roast until the meatballs are golden brown and caramelized, 6 to 8 minutes. Cut a meatball; the inside should be completely opaque, and the internal temperature should reach 160°F [71°C]. Remove from the oven.
- While the meatballs cook, to make the curry, in a medium Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the ghee. Add the curry leaves, shallot, and a pinch of salt, turn the heat to medium-low, and sauté until fragrant, translucent, and soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander, turmeric, black pepper, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 7 oz [200 g] of the crushed tomatoes and reserve the rest for another purpose. Stir in 1 cup [240 ml] water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat to low and simmer. Stir in the tamarind paste and season with salt. Add the meatballs, gently toss to coat in the sauce, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Garnish with the cilantro and serve hot or warm with rice or flatbread.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Ground lamb can be used in place of beef.
- I prefer smaller meatballs, but you can shape them larger and increase the cook time accordingly.
Why I Use Baking Soda in These Goan Meatballs
One of the small changes I made to my grandmother’s recipe was adding baking soda to the ground meat. Baking soda raises the pH of the meat, which changes the electrical charges on the amino acids of the proteins. They all get the same electric charge and the proteins change their shape which in turn helps the hold water more effectively. The result is an extra juicy meatball.
I also bake the meatballs instead of pan-frying them. They brown nicely in the hot oven before they make their way into the pot of simmering tomato curry. It’s much more convienent. The meatballs finish off in the curry where they absorb the flavors from the surrounding aromatics and spices in the sauce.
This is exactly the science that I use to answer cooking questions in Fundamentals of Flavor. Understand not only what works but also why it works.
More From Fundamentals of Flavor
If you enjoyed this recipe also try the GRILLED NECTARINES WITH BULGUR SALAD AND HAZELNUT AILLADE.
PREORDER FUNDAMENTALS OF FLAVOR
