Main Dishes, Recipes

Tikka Masala Meatballs

Posted by The King on

Medical school has kept me extremely busy! However, I’m still making time to cook regularly. The last few months have also been huge in making adjustments to my diet and exercise regimen. After losing 30 pounds, I’m back down to my ideal weight and am enjoying a healthy mixture of delicious food and exercise. I finally had a weekend free from studying to experiment in the kitchen with an idea I’ve had for quite some time: chicken tikka masala in meatball form! This recipe was really just the combination of two recipes that I have already posted before. The first is the Sriracha Chicken Tikka Masala recipe and the other recipe is the Asian Meatball recipe, which uses a sauce to flavor and moisten the meatballs. I thought that the marinade from the former recipe could be used in place of this to make the tikka masala meatballs. The addition of the pork to the chicken makes these meatballs very moist and delicious.

Tikka Masala Meatballs

This recipe will make a little over 80 meatballs. I froze some of them for use later. They can be served with the Sriracha Tikka Masala sauce, but the sauce recipe probably needs to be doubled for an entire batch of meatballs. Serve with quinoa or rice and naan. This would also be a good appetizer for a party.

Sriracha Tikka Masala Meatballs
Sriracha Tikka Masala Meatballs

Marinade:

  • 2 cups plain non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup Sriracha
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon or allspice
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Meatballs:
  • 2 1/2 pounds ground chicken
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 3/4 cup marinade (above)
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup Sriracha
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Mix the marinade in a bowl. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.  In another bowl, combine the ingredients for the meatballs. Mix well and form into meatballs about an inch in diameter. Place them on the baking sheet. Spoon a small amount of the remaining marinade onto each meatball and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours. Preheat oven to 400º. Bake meatballs for 20-25 minutes. While the meatballs are baking, prepare the sauce. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add the garlic, cooking until it becomes aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the cumin, coriander, garam masala and sweet paprika, combine and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce and Sriracha. Allow mixture to simmer for 15 minutes. Slowly add the coconut milk, whisking while you add it. Simmer for another 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken. Add some of the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for about 3 more minutes. Salt and pepper sauce to taste. Serve over quinoa (or rice) with garlic naan bread. Enjoy!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *