Saturday Night Fakeaway - Meatball Curry with Rice and Red Lentils...

Its Saturday night and that calls for a takeaway or in our house a fakeaway!
We spent the afternoon in the garden again and with winter creeping in the evenings are getting quite chilly so we wanted something filling and warming. A reward for our hard graft but one that wouldn't get in the way of reaching my target!

As you can tell I am rather fond of  meatballs, in sandwiches, with pasta, in a calzone... they are always a winner. So I thought why not in a curry then! And with a few spices and a little squishing and shaping I was on my way to curry fakeaway greatness.

Ingredients

for the meatballs
500g Lean mince meat
1 clove of garlic. crushed
heaped tsp of medium curry powder
good squeeze of tomato puree
1/2 red chili, finely chopped
handful of mint chopped
salt and pepper

for the sauce
1 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp medium curry powder
1 can chopped tomato
500ml tomato passata
squeeze of tomato puree
salt and pepper
1 tsp sweetener

1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup of rice
2 cups water
1 chicken stock cube
handful of coriander
1/2 red chili, finely chopped
1 lime

Method

1. Combine the mince with the garlic, tomato puree, mint, curry powder and chili. Mix well and then set aside for 30 minutes or so. You want the flavors to develop. I made mine in the morning.
2. With wet hands roll the mince into balls and brown them off in a pan. Do this in batches and then drain on some kitchen paper.
3. In the same pan start your sauce. In a little frylight cook down your onion and garlic and then add your curry powder and tomato puree. Once combined add your chopped tomato and passata along with the sugar. Once bubbling away gently add the meatballs and let them cook through in the sauce.
4. While the meatballs are cooking make your rice and lentils. Put into a pan with the water and stock and bring to the boil, after about 5 minutes turn off the heat and cover and let steam.
5. Once everything is cooked garnish with coriander and fresh chili and serve with a wedge of lime.

This is a great family dish and the sauce is so rich and delicious. I would actually recommend having a few naans on the side to lap up the sauce at the end. That's if you not watching the waistline like me ;)

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Recipe - mine

syns - none