Chicken Tikka Masala…Meatballs
A few weeks ago, I went to the Asian grocery store– up in ‘THE city’ & I stocked up!! In fact, the check-out guy asked me if I was planning to eat curry for a month. Um, no – I am just a weirdo.
Since then, I have been squeezing my Asian market treasures into recipes almost daily. I have had Chicken Tikka on the brain – and then I got an idea: why not make Chicken Tikka into a meatball??
In order to capture the true flavors of the Chicken Tikka Masala (CTM), I read dozens of CTM recipes. Some were very simple & others very intricate. One thing I noticed: none contained curry. What?? I have a month’s supply of curry in my pantry! Well, it will just have to stay there.
I ended up combining everything I read & modifying it to fit with what I have on hand. The results are in & this recipe is a winner, just ask my 11 month old niece – June, she said they were “YUM!”. She is such a good girl!
Once you read the recipe, you may think shredded coconut in meatballs sounds disgusting….maybe it does. But – the taste?? Crazy good! Many of the recipes I read marinated the chicken in coconut milk. I did not want to add that to the mix. I think about 1 c would need to be added in order to get the full coconut flavor & I think that much fat would cause the CTM texture to be, um…barf. Still, the coconut flavor is key – I just happen to have an entire bag of finely shredded unsweetened coconut flakes on hand, so in they went!
Another strange addition: buttermilk. I am loving this ingredient and am taking every opportunity to use it in my recipe creations (as a marinade, in a buttercream & in the base of a salad dressing). Thick, creamy, tangy & fat-free — what more could a girl ask for?? It worked its magic again – absolute perfection as a binder in these meatballs.
Last, the King’s Hawaiian rolls: added a boost of sweetness & a much-needed airy/fluffy texture to the CTMs. This chicken is so lean and dense, I started out intending to only add 2 rolls. It became obvious that all 4 rolls would be necessary in order to create the perfect texture.
The spices: coriander, cumin, garam masala & turmeric. Herbs: fresh cilantro & parsley. TRIVIA: did you know coriander seeds are cilantro seeds?? That is why I added fresh cilantro – the circle of life in a meatball, mmm.
You may wonder how I knew the CTMs were seasoned properly. Well, I sniffed. Once the mixture smelled like the inside of Misal — I knew it was perfect.
Now for the fun part – hand mixing… the best tools in the kitchen! Just have a few paper towels, a rubber spatula & a 2 T hand-scooper close by. Preparedness will keep you from getting chicken scuz all over the kitchen.
After hand-mixing is complete ((oh & don’t over mix…it will make your meatballs dry & tough)) let it rest on the counter for about 30 minutes. This will allow all of these new flavors to introduce themselves to each other, fall in love — and at the end of the 30 minutes, you may just hear wedding bells.
Place CTMs ((evenly spaced)) on baking sheets ((- parchment makes clean-up so painless!!)) & bake for 8 minutes on 375°. At the 8 minute mark, rotate to meatballs in order to help achieve even browning. 4 minutes later and these babies are DONE! Moist, tender & so delicious.
I have whipped up a cucumber-yogurt dipping sauce which goes perfectly with the Chicken Tikka Masala meatballs – the recipe will be shared tomorrow so watch out!
- 2 lbs ground chicken (50:50 breast & thigh)
- 2 T fresh ginger (finely minced)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 t ground coriander
- 1 T (scant) tumeric
- 1 T (heaping) garam masala
- 1 t cumin
- 4 King Hawaiian rolls (torn into tiny bits)
- 2/3 to 3/4 c finely ground unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 c chopped cilantro
- 1/2 c chopped parsley
- 1 egg
- 1 c buttermilk
- 1 t sea salt
- Preheat oven to 375°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- You are about to get your hands really dirty -- so have a few clean paper towels handy & set few utensils out: a rubber spatula & a 2 T sized crank hand-scoop.
- Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. (It helps to sprinkle the dry seasonings evenly over everything else - makes for easier mixing.)
- You can try mixing with a large spoon - but I think hand-mixing works best.*
- Once the mixture is evenly combined, let it sit for 30 minutes (on the counter is fine).
- After 30 minutes, use a 2T sized scoop to make individual meatballs. Place the meatballs on the parchment-lined baking sheets 1-1/2" apart.
- Bake at 375° for 8 minutes, remove from oven and flip them over & place the meatballs back in the oven for 4 more minutes.
- Makes 50 meatballs
- *Mix meatballs until combined, but be sure NOT to over mix...which leads to tough & dry meatballs (yuck).