The Startup Cook : Curry in a hurry  – Meatball and Potato!

Unexpected dinner guests aren’t the most convenient thing on a gloomy weekday night. Though they are most welcome, if you have got limited stocks in your larder providing food for them becomes a small challenge.  Also do remember, if they aren’t family, you’re sort of obliged to produce something that also looks a little fancy.

Possibly the easiest (and of course fancy in its own way) cuisine to turn too when you’re battling the odds is - Sri Lankan. The core principle of Sri Lankan food is to cater to packs of people (think about it - it’s quite difficult to cook rice and curry for a single person!). So whenever there is a sudden plus 3 situation, please resort to some yum curry like this.

It’s super easy, simple, cooks pretty fast and more importantly it tastes GOOD! Oh and the guests also found it pretty fancy.


Ingredients

500g of meatballs
1 onion (large)
2 potatoes (large)
2 green chillies
3 cloves of garlic
½ lime
1 cup of coconut milk
½ cup of water
1 tsp of dil seeds
2 tsp of vegetable oil
Chilli flakes
Chilli powder (unroasted)
Curry powder (roasted)
Turmeric powder
Salt
Pepper


Directions

Wash the potatoes thoroughly and cut them in to halves.

In a heavy based pan, place the potatoes halves, fill the pan with water, add a teaspoon of salt and boil (until soft but not flaky).

Juice the lime over the meatballs; add a tablespoon of chilli powder and two teaspoons of turmeric powder and marinade.

Fine dice the onion, garlic and green chillies.

Heat up the vegetable oil with the dil seeds in a heavy based pan.

Add the diced, garlic, onion, green chillies and tablespoon of chilli flakes and sauté.

Add the marinated meatballs, salt, pepper (measurements according to personal taste) and combine well.

Next, add a tablespoon of chilli powder, two tablespoons of curry powder and stir for a few minutes.

Pour in the water, seal the pan with its lid and let the meatballs cook.

Now peel the boiled (and cooled) potato halves and cut each half in to half.

When the water in the pan has nearly evaporated, add the cut potatoes, with another tablespoon of curry powder and stir.

Pour in the coconut milk, stir, let it cook for a couple of minutes and then let it simmer.



Disasters, Warnings and Tips

I had this with Roti and Lunumiris. Yummmm…

Except for the Lunumiris both the Roti and Curry were made under an hour (showing off a little here).

When it comes to curry, potatoes need only to be boiled until they are soft but still a little firm or it will flake in the curry.

I use Maggie coconut milk powder. Too lazy to grate the real thing.

Cheat on the dicing, by blitzing the onion, green chillies and garlic in a processor or blender.

I ALWAYS need to marinade. Be it processed meat or raw chicken.

My fancy touch to this dish was the potatoes. It actually worked well. Yay!

Coconut milk tends to wash off the spices, feel free increase or decrease (except for salt) any of the spices.

Potatoes do take a while to boil, but if you attend to it first and boil potato halves, it cuts the time in half.  (Pun unintended)



Text by Shazzana Hamid