Dinner again? Mince is a family favourite because it's so simple and so cheap and so versatile. But if your version of versatile has been spaghetti bolognese then lasgane...and repeat, I'm here to shake up your dinner! Beef mince curry meatballs are a fantastic way to use beef mince in a different way.
Why you're going to love this family dinner
- You might be thinking "my kids don't eat curry", but I'm ready to change that! This sweet, creamy and delicious curry has very little heat, and has a sauce that's very reminiscent of the family favourite, butter chicken.
- Not only that, but these are effectively just meatballs in a tomatoey sauce (albeit a very flavoursome one!) and that is very familiar to most kids.
- Apart from the fact that it's a budget meal, it's packed with veggies, full of flavour and perfect for a weeknight dinner. Not only are there hidden veggies, but there are also some visible ones, meaning kids are getting a stack of veggies in every bite.
- It's freezer friendly, can be prepped in advance and meatballs are a kid favourite!
- Kids love meatballs! They are so accessible- one bite! They are easy to grab out of the sauce on a fork, so kids can decide how much sauce they want on their meatballs.
What goes into the recipe
don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card for quantities and the full method
For the meatballs you need:
- beef mince use 5 star mince for this recipe, it doesn't need any extra fat and the zucchini and carrot help to keep the meatballs juicy
- zucchini, grated
- carrot, grated
- egg, choose free range where you can
For the sauce:
- ghee (it's clarified butter, if you can't find it, swap for the same amount of butter) (not pictured because I'm a bit silly!)
- garam masala, this spice blend forms the basis of the flavour in this dish, it's available from most supermarkets
- paprika, I use sweet paprika, but any kind will do
- ground coriander, this is made from coriander seed, not the leaves
- fresh crushed ginger, I buy a jar of it and keep it in the fridge
- cinnamon stick
- cardamom pods, they need to be crushed a little
- yoghurt, any greek or natural style will work
- lemon juice, I just squirt a lemon half over the top
It seems like a lot of ingredients, right? But most of them are spices you probably already have. And trust me, you'll be making this again and again, so they won't go to waste.
How to make this recipe
- To make the meatballs, combine all the ingredients except the oil in a large bowl.
- Mix well to combine. Take tablespoonfuls of the mixture and roll into balls.
- Heat a large wok until hot with the oil. Add the meatballs in batches and stir fry until browned (add extra oil as required). Remove.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the ghee/butter, stirring until melted. Add the onion, and cook until softened.
- Add the garam masala, sweet paprika, coriander, ginger, chilli powder,cinnamon stick and cardamom pods and stir fry until the kitchen smells amazing (about 2 minutes).
- Return the meatballs to the wok and coat in the spices for about one minute.
- Add the passata and sugar and simmer stirring for 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
- Add the yoghurt and lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes or until the saucehas thickened slightly. Serve with rice or naan breads.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- get all the ingredients ready to go, after the frying of the meatballs everything else happens very quickly!
- if serving with rice, start cooking it when you start frying the meatballs
- chop your broccoli smaller if your kids don't love it, or swap for green beans, carrot rounds or even spinach
- to keep the meatballs intact after adding the sauce back in, stir gently with a silicone spatula
TOTALLY! In fact, the flavours in the sauce and the meatballs mature when left to sit, so this will ensure an even more flavourful meal the next day or when you defrost.
I used 5 star or premium beef to make this easy dinner. It's awesome because it doesn't contain loads of fat and helps to keep the meatballs lean.
Rice makes for the perfect accompaniment for these beef mince curry meatballs. If you are looking for a naan bread, you might want to try these simple three ingredient flatbreads!
More beef mince recipe ideas
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Beef mince curry meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- 750 grams beef mince
- 1 zucchini grated
- 1 carrot grated
- 1 egg
Sauce
- 60 g ghee or butter
- 1 onion
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger finely chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 cardamom pods slightly crushed
- 400 grams passata pureed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tbspns sugar
- ¾ cup plain yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 head broccoli chopped into florets
Instructions
- To make the meatballs, combine all the ingredients except the oil in a large bowl.
- Mix well to combine. Take tablespoonfuls of the mixture and roll into balls.
- Heat a large wok until hot with the oil. Add the meatballs in batches and stir fry until browned (add extra oilas required). Remove.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the ghee/butter, stirring until melted.Add the onion, and cook until softened.
- Add the garam masala, sweet paprika, coriander, ginger, chilli powder,
cinnamon stick and cardamom pods and stir fry until the kitchen smells amazing (about 2 minutes). - Return the meatballs to the wok and coat in the spices for about one minute.
- Add the passata and sugar and simmer stirring for 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
- Add the yoghurt and lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce
has thickened slightly. Serve with rice or naan breads.
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