Indian-spiced Meatballs with Tomato-chile Sauce, Suvir Saran
Reprinted with permission of Clarkson-Potter
Makes 3 dozen meatballs
For the Sauce
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus
1 teaspoon, for greasing the baking dish
3 dried red chiles
1⁄2 teaspoon ground peppercorns
1⁄2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1⁄4 teaspoon dried
1⁄2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1⁄4 teaspoon dried
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
For the Meatballs
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 slice white or whole-wheat bread
1⁄4 cup warm milk
1 pound ground beef (preferably 85% lean)
1⁄2 pound ground veal
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1⁄4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1⁄2 jalapeño (seeded and veined if you prefer a milder flavor), finely chopped
A 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1⁄4 teaspoon ground peppercorns
1⁄4 teaspoon plus a pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1⁄2 cup slivered almonds
To make the sauce, heat the oil, chiles, and ground peppercorns in a large pot over medium-
high heat, cooking until the pepper starts to sizzle, about 11⁄2 minutes. Add the rosemary and
thyme and cook until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Add the onion and salt and cook until the
onion is soft but not browned, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and
add the bell peppers. Cook until they start to soften, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Mix in the
sugar, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring
halfway through. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, and then add the water and bring back
to a
boil. Reduce the heat to medium and partially cover the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Turn the heat off and set aside (at this point, the sauce can be refrigerated for
up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months).
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and
set it aside. Prepare the meatballs: Dip the bread in the warm milk and press it between your
palms to squeeze out the excess liquid (discard leftover milk). Break the bread into small
pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the beef, veal, remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and
egg and mix with your hands until the mixture is uniform in appearance and the bread is
worked in. Add half of the cilantro, the garlic, jalapeño, ginger, salt, Garam Masala, ground
peppercorns, and cayenne pepper and mix until it is completely integrated.
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and a pinch of cayenne
pepper, stirring and toasting the nuts until they are light brown and fragrant, 1 to 11⁄2
minutes. Add the remaining cilantro and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Transfer the
almonds to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind into a coarse paste.
Form the meat mixture into small balls about the size of a Ping-Pong ball. Take one in your
palm and make an indentation in the center with your finger. Add 1⁄4 teaspoon of the almond
spice paste and pinch the meatball shut so the spice mix is completely enclosed. Re-form the
meat into a ball. Place the filled meatballs on a baking sheet and bake until firm and browned,
18 to 20 minutes, gently rolling after 10 minutes and then again after 5 minutes so they brown
evenly. Toss with the tomato sauce and serve.
Reprinted with permission of Clarkson-Potter
Makes 3 dozen meatballs
For the Sauce
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus
1 teaspoon, for greasing the baking dish
3 dried red chiles
1⁄2 teaspoon ground peppercorns
1⁄2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1⁄4 teaspoon dried
1⁄2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1⁄4 teaspoon dried
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
For the Meatballs
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 slice white or whole-wheat bread
1⁄4 cup warm milk
1 pound ground beef (preferably 85% lean)
1⁄2 pound ground veal
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1⁄4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1⁄2 jalapeño (seeded and veined if you prefer a milder flavor), finely chopped
A 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1⁄4 teaspoon ground peppercorns
1⁄4 teaspoon plus a pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1⁄2 cup slivered almonds
To make the sauce, heat the oil, chiles, and ground peppercorns in a large pot over medium-
high heat, cooking until the pepper starts to sizzle, about 11⁄2 minutes. Add the rosemary and
thyme and cook until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Add the onion and salt and cook until the
onion is soft but not browned, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and
add the bell peppers. Cook until they start to soften, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Mix in the
sugar, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring
halfway through. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, and then add the water and bring back
to a
boil. Reduce the heat to medium and partially cover the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Turn the heat off and set aside (at this point, the sauce can be refrigerated for
up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months).
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and
set it aside. Prepare the meatballs: Dip the bread in the warm milk and press it between your
palms to squeeze out the excess liquid (discard leftover milk). Break the bread into small
pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the beef, veal, remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and
egg and mix with your hands until the mixture is uniform in appearance and the bread is
worked in. Add half of the cilantro, the garlic, jalapeño, ginger, salt, Garam Masala, ground
peppercorns, and cayenne pepper and mix until it is completely integrated.
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and a pinch of cayenne
pepper, stirring and toasting the nuts until they are light brown and fragrant, 1 to 11⁄2
minutes. Add the remaining cilantro and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Transfer the
almonds to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind into a coarse paste.
Form the meat mixture into small balls about the size of a Ping-Pong ball. Take one in your
palm and make an indentation in the center with your finger. Add 1⁄4 teaspoon of the almond
spice paste and pinch the meatball shut so the spice mix is completely enclosed. Re-form the
meat into a ball. Place the filled meatballs on a baking sheet and bake until firm and browned,
18 to 20 minutes, gently rolling after 10 minutes and then again after 5 minutes so they brown
evenly. Toss with the tomato sauce and serve.
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