Anjum's Goan Meatball Green Curry

Last week, I checked out Anjum's New Indian cookbook from the library. Before this, I hadn't heard of Anjum Anand, "The Indian Nigella Lawson" and the host of The Cooking Channel's Indian Food Made Easy (we don't get the cooking channel, which is probably a good thing because I can see myself eventually watching cooking shows 24/7). Wow -this is a great Indian cookbook! The recipes are pretty straightforward, and she includes a bit of cultural and historical context -Goa was colonized by the Portuguese for 450 years and their food shows that influence.



Each recipe has a photo -all really good photos- and the Green Curry Meatball recipe immediately grabbed my attention. Aside from the fact that this is a meatball recipe, and a curry recipe, and a lamb recipe, and a one-pot meal recipe, and that it is OH SO GREEN, I knew that the combination of coconut milk, cilantro and these spices would be fabulous together. They are, AND it is super easy to make. My photo is not so vibrantly green as the professionals -I suspect they clicked on an incompletely cooked portion to capture the green of fresh cilantro- and of course no photo can convey the amazing aroma in your kitchen of this curry cooking -you'll just have to make it yourself! This is a friendly curry, exotically but not overly spiced or hot, and I love the brightness of the cilantro and tamarind with the lamb. AND it is just as good, or even better, when reheated. Do try these meatballs.



Anjum's Goan Meatball Green Curry

Adapted from: Anjum's New Indian -Recipes from Indian Food Made Easy by Anjum Anand
Serves 6

Mix in food processor:
1 lb. ground lamb
2 large slices white bread, crumbled
1 egg
1 t. each garam masala, cumin and canola oil
1/2 t. salt
Form 1 inch meatballs. Chill.

Heat in large skillet:
1-2 T. canola oil
Add:
1 small onion, finely chopped
Fry until browned.

In blender, make a paste:
1 inch piece ginger, grated
6 garlic cloves, sliced
2 green chilies (I used Serrano chilies), deseeded and sliced
1/3 13.5 oz. can lite coconut milk
1 t. each garam masala and cumin
1/2 t. salt
Add coconut paste to browned onions and cook 5-10 minutes, stirring every so often. It will get thick and may begin to stick towards the end.

Puree in blender (I didn't wash the blender after making the paste):
1 c. coconut milk
1 c. cilantro leaves
Add to skillet. Rinse blender with 1 1/2 c. water and add this also to skillet. Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes.

Add 1 t. to 1 T. tamarind paste (or lemon or lime juice) to taste, and then add meatballs. Cover and cook 20 minutes more on low heat. Serve with Basmati rice and mango chutney.