Small Meatballs with Chili, Lime, Coconut and Curry

Small Meatballs with Chili, Lime and Curry, [lastupdated]

Meatballs in a curry sauce are a traditional dish in Denmark and we have had it since we were kids - some would actually say it is a national dish. Having food that you have had your entire life is always nice and it brings back childhood memories. However, sometimes it is nice to make a traditional dish but add a small twist which can change the food in a new way. This recipe for small meatballs with chili, lime, curry and coconut is based on this traditional national dish, meatballs with curry. This national dish, meatballs in a curry sauce, can sometimes become a bit 'heavy' and does not match the normal expectation to food in this century - where lightness and freshness is a big and important factor. In this recipe the meatballs contains chili which adds a new and refreshing taste, and makes the dish feel lighter and even better. The curry sauce is also twisted a bit - normally the sauce is based on milk and water, this recipe uses coconut milk and lime juice. We normally recommend serving the curry sauce and the meatballs with some boiled white or brown rice. However, you can also skip the curry sauce and just make the spicy meatballs and serve them with a nice lettuce salad. This way you make the dish a bit healthier because you do not get the carbs from the rice.

Small Meatballs with Chili, Lime and Curry

3-4 people
Preparation time: 60 min

Ingredients:
Meat balls
500 g (1 lb) ground pork (<15 % fat)
1 tsp salt
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red chili, finely chopped
1 egg
1/2 dl (1/4 cup) water

Sauce
2 cans coconut milk
1 lime
1-2 tbsp curry
1 onion, finely chopped
vegetables stock powder
3 scallions (spring onions), chopped
Pinch salt and pepper

Instruction:
Step 1: Mix the ground pork with onion, egg, chili, water, salt and pepper. Place the meat mixture in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
Step 2: Take the meat out of the fridge and form small meatballs.
Step 3: Heat up a frying pan with some oil and fry the meat balls on each side for a couple of minutes. Lower the heat and fry the meatballs for about 5 minutes or till they are done. When done, put the meatballs on a plate.
Step 4: Clean the frying pan. Heat up the pan and fry/lightly-burn the curry and the onion.
Step 5: Add the coconut milk and the vegetables stock. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
Step 6: Add the juice from the lime and the scallions (spring onions). Add salt and pepper according to taste.
Step 7: Add the meatballs to the pan with the sauce, and let it simmer for about 2-4 minutes.

Tip: Serve the sauce and meatballs with boiled rice. If you want to make the dish a bit healthier consider using brown rice which has a great amount of dietary fibers.

By Kim Nielsen