Meatballs Recipes In Sinhala

Tender and flavorful curry spiced meatballs, cooked in an authentic Sri Lankan curry sauce. This meatball curry tastes better than all the meatball curries I grew up with, and still brings back so many childhood memories. An authentic recipe that is very versatile.

South Asian spiced curry chicken meatballs in a delicious and spicy curry sauce (gravy). Learn how to make the best, most authentic Sri Lankan meatball curry!

When I moved to Sri Lanka as a little kid, I remember how much I looked forward to meal times when I knew meatball curry was on the menu. Specifically, the Keels meatball curry that was an easy meal for busy families or in my case, fussy eaters. I have few recipes that are as nostalgic as this one. This meatball curry is truly etched in my memories. Since leaving Sri Lanka, I’ve been making my own version for decades now. The curry base remains the same, but the actual meatball is better, more juicy, and more flavorful than ever!

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Now, a quick note on terminology. In Sri Lanka, no one really calls a curry base “a sauce”. It’s called a curry gravy. Sauce is more of a condiment, while gravy is the liquid that comes WITH the curry.

Ground chicken – Preferably chicken with about 5 – 10% fat. This is what keeps the meat super juicy. But you can use lean meat too, and I’ll tell you how to make the meatballs later on in this post. You can also use beef, lamb, pork, or any ground meat for this recipe.

Sri Lankan curry powder – I always use my own curry powder blend. You can find the recipe for my own Sri Lankan spice blend here. We call this “thuna paha” in Sinhalese.

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Cilantro roots or stems – This is something I picked up from Thai cuisine and now incorporate into my dishes sometimes. Cilantro roots have a wonderful taste that is more subtle and more earthy than cilantro leaves. So even those who don’t particularly care for the cilantro flavor, do find the cilantro root flavor more palatable. Also, it’s a great use for those stems and roots that you usually discard.

Cayenne pepper or kashmiri chili powder – Adjust this to your taste. We like it spicy, but I’ve adjusted the recipe to what is mild to us. So make sure to change the quantity to suit your tastebuds.

Coconut milk – Depending on when you add the coconut milk, you can either get a super creamy curry, or a curry where the coconut flavor is also intensified. I prefer the second, but the first is also a good choice if you prefer a creamier curry.

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Chicken – You can use any ground meat. But make sure there is some fat content in the meat so that the meatballs will not be dry and crumbly. If you can only find lean meat, you can ADD some fat to the meatball mixture. I have tried beef and pork meatballs, and they are all delicious!

Cilantro – There is no real substitution for the cilantro roots in this recipe. If you do happen to have the genetic trait where you find cilantro leaves “soapy”, then you can leave it out, or add 1 tsp ground coriander powder. Do not substitute with parsley, as the flavors will be very different.

Sri Lankan curry powder – You can find this in many South Asian grocery stores, but I personally prefer my homemade version more than any store-bought curry powder. You can also use madras curry powder if that’s easier to find.

Meatballs In Coconut Curry Sauce

To turn it into an Indian meatball curry, just substitute the curry powder with garam masala for both the meatballs AND the curry base.

Coconut milk – You can make this without coconut milk if you prefer. I do prefer it WITH coconut milk, but it can be made without as well. The curry gravy will be less thick without the coconut milk.

Cornstarch – You can use potato starch instead of cornstarch. You can also use 2 tbsp coarse breadcrumbs instead, but the meatballs will no longer be gluten free then. I also prefer the texture of the meatballs with the starch, instead of breadcrumbs.

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Mince the garlic, ginger, and cilantro roots. This can be done together or separately. Then have the rest of the ingredients measured and ready to go.

In a large bowl, place the ground chicken. If you’re using lean meat, add the fat as well. The fat can be a neutral oil or lard. I prefer using duck fat or lard, but you can use what you have at hand. Also add the ginger, garlic, and cilantro, along with the curry powder, cornstarch, and a generous amount of salt.

Mix these ingredients well. I prefer to use a spoon or my hand, and mix the ingredients in one direction. The chicken should become stringy and sticky – like dumpling filling. This sticky filling is key to making a cohesive meatball, that doesn’t crumble when bitten into.

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If you don’t want to use your hands to mix this, OR if you’re making a bigger batch, you can absolutely use a food processor to mix these ingredients together and still get a nice and sticky mixture.

Once the mix is made, you can cover and let it chill for about 20 – 30 minutes to marinate and to make it easier to handle. The meatball mix then needs to be portioned and made into evenly-sized meatballs.

To do this, I use a 3 tbsp ice cream scoop or cookie scoop to portion the meat evenly. You can also use any other type of spoon. Take the portioned meat and gently form a ball by rolling it in your palms and then place it on a prepared and lined (with wax paper or parchment paper or plastic wrap) plate or baking tray.

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To prevent the meat mix from being too sticky – Keep a bowl of cool tap water close by. Wet your hands and dip the scoop in water before you scoop up the meat. This will prevent the meat from sticking to the scoop and especially your hands when you’re shaping the meatballs.

You can cook the curry flavored chicken meatballs either on the stove or in the oven. I personally prefer cooking them on the stove, but for bigger batches and for convenience, the oven works well too.

Heat a large 12 inch nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Heat 2 – 3 tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot, arrange the meatballs in one layer on the pan. Make sure the pan is not overcrowded, as you want the meatballs to get a nice caramelization on all sides.

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Cook the meatballs, flipping them once or twice. Make sure to get a nice caramelized crust on at least two sides of your chicken meatballs. That caramelized bits are where the flavor is! Don’t worry if the meatballs are not cooked all the way through at this stage, since they will be cooked further in the curry next.

Repeat with the rest of the meatballs and then let the meatballs rest. DO NOT discard any juice/liquid in the pan (that’s not burnt!).

Line a half sheet baking tray with parchment paper and place the meatballs on it about 1 – 1.5 inches apart. Bake the meatballs in the oven for about 15 – 20 minutes, flipping them once halfway through, to get nice coloration on the meatballs.

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Then remove the meatballs from the oven and let them rest. It is OK if they are not cooked through at this stage, IF you’re going to cook them in the curry next.

For this Sri Lankan meatball curry, we’ll be making the curry base first, before adding the chicken meatballs to finish cooking them in the gravy.

Place the garlic, ginger, red (or green) chili, and onion in a small blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can finely chop all these ingredients as well.

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Preheat about 1 – 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot, and add the blended or finely chopped garlic-ginger mix. Cook this mix until you start to get a little bit of color in the onions. Then add the curry powder, coriander powder, chili powder, and some salt, and sauté for about 30 – 60 seconds.

For an Indian inspired chicken meatball curry – Add garam masala instead of the Sri Lankan curry powder. You can also add a little bit of yogurt at the end instead of coconut milk if you like.

IF you’d like a CREAMY curry, add about 3/4 cup of water to the curry base and bring it to a simmer. However, if you like the type of curry where you still have coconut flavor, but it’s NOT creamy, then add the coconut milk and a little water here and bring it to a simmer.

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The coconut simmered for longer will split into the coconut solids and fat, creating some oil floating on the surface. The “concentrated” coconut solids will mix in with the gravy. Personally, I LOVE the flavor this adds to curries such as this meatball curry.

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