With the cooler temps approaching, warm & cozy meals are a must! Many parts of the country are experiencing a dip in temp but here in South Texas we are still above 95 degrees! Despite this, I am making all the Fall foods and this recipe is one delicious bowl of comfort! I’ll pretend I am eating it in front of a warm cracking fire as the leaves are falling outside. Can you tell I miss the PNW much? I do love my seasons, so Texas has been an adjustment for me. In South Texas we basically have Spring and Summer weather, which has its perks but there is something about the leaves changing color, a cooler breeze, and cozier nights that transitions you to a new season. So in preparation of these cooler months to come, this coconut curry “meatless” meatball dish is the perfect meal for a cozy night in.
Coconut and curry are some of my favorite flavors. I love the creaminess coconut adds and curry provides an aromatic warm spice flavor. Together these two make a great combo creating the creamiest flavorful sauce inspired by Halfbaked Harvest’s version. Plus curry provides a ton of health benefits, more on this a little later.
This dish takes a little effort, especially if you are making your meatballs from scratch. In Halfbaked Harvest’s original recipe she uses homemade chicken meatballs however I opted to make this recipe 100% vegetarian so created my all time favorite Lentil Meatballs from Sprouted Kitchen. These meatballs combine lentils, parsley, eggs, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs then cooked in the oven to create a dense but flavorful meatless meatball. It really works perfectly in this creamy coconut curry sauce! YUM!
To save time I use precooked lentils from Trader Joes. I also double the meatball recipe and freeze the extras so the next time I make this I can whip it up in half the time. You could easily double any meatball recipe you are using and do the same thing. Or skip the meatball making process and buy your favorite premade frozen meatballs. Either way, this dish is really all in the sauce!
MEAL PREP TIP: Precooked lentils & double the meatball recipe to freeze and next time you can have this dish ready in 15 minutes!
HEALTH BENEFITS OF CURRY
Curry is a well know spice typically used in Indian and Thai cooking. Curry is not a single spice but a combination of several spices; turmeric, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, etc. Each curry may have a different blend of these spices and therefore may vary some on the potential health benefits.
Turmeric tends to be one of the most researched spices in curry. Turmeric is what gives curry its yellow color and contains the active compound called curcumin; powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
Most well known benefits of curry are:
- Reduces inflammation
- Relieves joint pain
- Detoxifies the liver
- Fights cancer causing free radicals
- Delays degenerative diseases
If you are not a fan of curry but want to reap the benefits you can buy turmeric or curcumin capsules sold at most health food stores. The capsules are actually more potent than curry powder itself and would allow you to see the benefits sooner.
If you like curry, I encourage you to try this recipe if not for the health benefits than the delicious warm bowl of curry and meatballs!
Enjoy and be sure to tag #platefulnutrition in your recipes!
AuthorPlatefulCategoryEntree, Vegetarian
In a food processor pulse lentils into small pieces.
In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, ricotta, parmesan cheese, garlic, fennel, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper, mix well. Mix in breadcrumbs and lentils.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the mix into balls and line them up on the baking sheet.
Bake 20 minutes until meatballs are golden. Turn halfway through baking.
In a large skillet add oil over medium heat. Once hot add shallots, bell peppers and ginger. Cook until fragrant and peppers softened, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in curry paste, cook 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl combine 2 tbsp or so cool water and corn starch, whisk until blended and no lumps, set aside.
Add the meatballs to the sauce and corn starch, stirring and cooking until sauce has thickened.
Once sauce is thickened to your desire, remove from heat and stir in cilantro or basil.
Serve over rice, noodle or spaghetti squash, Enjoy!
TIPS:
- double meatball recipe and freeze to remake this meal super fast
- save time by buying precooked lentils and prepared meatballs
Ingredients
Directions
In a food processor pulse lentils into small pieces.
In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, ricotta, parmesan cheese, garlic, fennel, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper, mix well. Mix in breadcrumbs and lentils.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the mix into balls and line them up on the baking sheet.
Bake 20 minutes until meatballs are golden. Turn halfway through baking.
In a large skillet add oil over medium heat. Once hot add shallots, bell peppers and ginger. Cook until fragrant and peppers softened, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in curry paste, cook 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl combine 2 tbsp or so cool water and corn starch, whisk until blended and no lumps, set aside.
Add the meatballs to the sauce and corn starch, stirring and cooking until sauce has thickened.
Once sauce is thickened to your desire, remove from heat and stir in cilantro or basil.
Serve over rice, noodle or spaghetti squash, Enjoy!
TIPS:
- double meatball recipe and freeze to remake this meal super fast
- save time by buying precooked lentils and prepared meatballs
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