goan meatball curry with cauliflower ‘rice’

This Goan meatball curry with cauliflower rice is a comforting mild curry dish with tomato, coconut and Garam masala. It’s perfect for a mid-week meal in winter to keep the chills at bay. The cauliflower ‘rice’ keeps this whole meal low carb, but I think it would be better with rice.

This was also the last meal in my series from the South African home delivery serve UCook and I’m already missing them terribly. You can check out why I love them so much when I posted their recipe for a delicious chicken and mushroom strogonoff with crispy sage.

My favourite of all their meals – and let me tell you it isn’t easy picking just one, was their trout en papillote with fennel and tomatoes. I can already tell it’s going to make it to my list of fave recipes for 2017. You can check out my faves for 2016, 2015 and 2014 if you feel in the mood. I just love all the flavours going on in that recipe and if you are ever looking for a super healthy dish this is it.

I’ve adapted the recipe slightly to make it a little more user-friendly for the home cook. I also think you could use coconut milk instead of cream. The cream is really delicious but if you wanted to conserve a few calories it would be fine and a little less rich. 

I made cauliflower ‘cous cous’ or ‘rice’ way back in 2012 and before it became such a thing, but it’s still the recipe I employ when I make it. You could add all the spices as I did in my recipe or keep it a little plainer to go with this curry. I do always like to add some chopped herbs to my cauli rice, and here I used a sprinkle of finely chopped cilantro. 

And….. I made the raita to go with this dish but then totally forgot it in the fridge so it doesn’t make it into the pics. Oops!

Recipe – serves 4 – slightly adapted from U Cook

goan meatball curry with cauliflower 'rice'

Goan meatball curry with cauliflower cous-cous recipe.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:20 minutes mins

Ingredients

spice mix:

• 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground ginger

Meatballs:

• 500-600 gms free range mince
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• olive oil for frying 
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 chilli deseeded and finely chopped (0r 1 tsp dried chilli flakes)
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 x tin tomatoes chopped
• 1 cup / 250ml coconut cream 
• 10 gms vegetable or chicken stock powder about small cube
• 20 g small bunch coriander, rinsed and finely chopped

Cucumber raita:

• 1/2 cup or 125ml yoghurt
• 120 gms cucumber finely chopped

Cauliflower rice:

• 800 gms cauliflower - blitzed in a food processor to a grain-like texture.
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Instructions

• Boil the kettle and mix the stock with 1/2 cup (125ml) water
• Mix up your spices together and divide in half. Add half the mix to the mince and breadcrumbs and mix until well combined. season well with salt and Pepper.
• Roll out small balls with the meat mix and fry in batches in a hot non-stick pan until golden on all sides (they do not have to be cooked all the way through). Remove from pan and drain excess oil.
• Return the pan over medium heat and add the onion and chilli. Saute for a couple of minutes until it softens. Add the remaining spice and cook until soft (3 minutes) - add a splash more olive oil or butter if it needs it. Add the tomato, stock, honey and coconut cream and cook over gentle heat until it thickens - about 10 minutes.
• Add the meatballs back to the sauce and continue cooking for a further 5 - 8 minutes until they are cooked through. You can add a little water if you feel you need to loosen the sauce.
• Add half the chopped coriander/cilantro to the curry a few minutes before the end. 
• While this is cooking you can make your cauliflower rice - check out my recipe and method here. For 4 people you will need around 800gms - or 1 medium cauliflower. 
• Make the raita by mixing the cucumber and yoghurt together. serve this dollop on top of the meatballs with the remaining chopped coriander.

Notes

Use any rice you prefer tithe this dish

Servings: 4

Author: Sam Linsell

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