Garam Masala-Spiked Meatballs Will Spice Up Your Week

Yahoo Food

Every week, we spotlight a different food blogger who’s shaking up the blogosphere with tempting recipes and knockout photography. Here, food blogger Betty Liu peps up a traditional meatball recipe with the addition of the rich Indian spice mixture, garam masala.

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Photo: Betty Liu

I’d been struggling to find the perfect beef meatball recipe, but I’ve finally found it!!! My dad is obsessed with cumin and garam masala, so I tossed some in, and it adds such a lovely, interesting flavor. I sautéed the meatballs to brown them and keep their shape, then finished them off in a tomato sauce. This allows the meatballs to really soak in the rich flavor of the sauce. A great resource for making the perfect meatball is here. This is where I learned the trick of soaking breadcrumbs in milk as an additional binder:)

After browning in a pan, these meatballs will not be fully cooked, but that’s OK, because they will finish in the red sauce.

Garam Masala All-Beef Meatballs
Makes about 28 meatballs

½ cup bread crumbs
½ cup whole milk
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon garam masala
½ teaspoon cumin
½ cup finely chopped parsley
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Oil, for frying
Tomato sauce
Pasta, to serve.

Soak bread crumbs in whole milk. Set aside. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the milk-soaked breadcrumbs, beef, egg, nutmeg, garam masala, cumin, parsley, salt, red pepper flakes, garlic, and Parmesan. Mix to combine.

Roll into balls and set aside on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic.

Heat up oil in a frying pan. In batches, gently brown all sides. Make sure there is plenty of room between each meatball — do not crowd them on the pan.

Once all meatballs are nicely browned, simmer tomato sauce (homemade or store-bought — any way works!). Once simmering, add meatballs into the sauce and simmer for another 30-40 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. Stir occasionally.

Cook your pasta until al dente. When meatballs are done, toss with pasta and serve warm!

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