Description

Make a bold-flavored recipe for dinner tonight with juicy meatballs and a bold coconut green curry sauce. Serve over jasmine rice or rice noodles.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Meatballs:

1 1/2 lbs (680 g) ground pork
2 shallots, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for frying

Green curry paste:

4-6 fresh green Thai chilies (or serrano peppers), roughly chopped
3 lemongrass stalks, tender inner part only, roughly chopped
1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh galangal (or ginger), roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 shallots, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro stems and leaves
1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
2 kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn (or 1 teaspoon lime zest)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon shrimp paste (or 1 teaspoon fish sauce if unavailable)
1-2 tablespoons water, as needed to blend

Coconut curry sauce:

1 (13.5 oz / 400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For serving:

Steamed jasmine rice
Fresh mint, thinly sliced
Fresh cilantro, thinly sliced
2 limes, cut into wedges

Instructions

Combine all meatball ingredients except the vegetable oil in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands, then form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Arrange on a plate or baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to cook. (Can be made up to 1 day ahead, tightly covered.)
Make the green curry paste: combine the chilies, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots, cilantro, Thai basil, kaffir lime leaves, cumin, coriander, white pepper, and shrimp paste in a food processor. Process, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture forms a thick, fragrant paste.
In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk and chicken stock. Stir in 3–4 tablespoons of the curry paste (or more to taste). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. (Any remaining curry paste can be frozen for up to 3 months.)
While the curry simmers, cook the meatballs. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add the meatballs and cook for 10–15 minutes, turning to brown all sides.
To serve, ladle the coconut curry into bowls. Add a scoop of steamed jasmine rice, then top with the meatballs. Garnish with mint, cilantro, and a lime wedge.

Notes

Galangal has a sharper, more citrusy bite than ginger. If you can find it fresh or frozen at an Asian grocery, it is worth using. If not, substitute an equal amount of minced fresh ginger with a pinch of ground mace. For shrimp paste, fish sauce makes a good substitute in a pinch. Leftover curry paste freezes well for up to 3 months.

Category: Main
Cuisine: Thai