World Cuisines: Curried Meatballs (Indian)

Ingredients:
MEATBALLS
- 6 scallions, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño without seeds (for less heat)
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- pinch of cayenne pepper 
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 egg
- 3 Tbsp plain yogurt 
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 Tbsp olive oil

CURRY SAUCE
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3-4 medium onions, chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 serrano pepper/chile de arbor, seeds removed (the serranos we used were milder than jalapeños, check before using!)
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (around 15oz)
- 2 cups of water
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- a pinch of cayenne pepper (or more if you really like hot food)
- fresh cilantro and plain yogurt (optional) for serving

Preparation:
MEATBALLS
- Brush a baking sheet with olive oil.
- Purée scallions, jalapeño, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, garam masala, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper and an egg in a blender until smooth.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Transfer beef to a large bowl. Add yogurt, salt and purée. Mix with your hands until all the ingredients are well combined. 
- Using an ice bream scoop or table spoon, form/roll beef into golf ball-sized portions and place on baking sheet, spacing them around 1 inch apart. You should have around 22-24 meatballs. 
- Brush meatballs with more oil and bake around 20-25 minutes (until cooked through).
- Set aside.

CURRY SAUCE
- While the meatballs are baking, start your sauce.
- Heat oil in a large, heavy pot on medium. Add onions, garlic and ginger. Stir often and cook until onions are translucent.   
- Stir in serrano pepper, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander and peppercorns. Stir often until spices are mixed in well and they begin to stick to the pot (around 2 minutes).
- Add tomatoes. Stirring, bring to a boil.
- Add bay leaf, salt and 2 cups of water. Return to boil. 
- Reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes. 
- Let sauce cool, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. (Remember hot sauce will cause the lid of the blender to explode, so it is important to cool it off before blending). 
- Transfer sauce back to the pot. Stir in lemon juice and cayenne. Taste sauce and season with more salt if needed. 
- Gently move meatballs into sauce, simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. 
- Serve with rice and top with cilantro and a teaspoon of plain yogurt (if desired).  Around 6 servings.

Bon Appetit!