Curry night just got a whole lot cosier with these Lamb Meatballs with Red Thai Curry Sauce. Juicy lamb meatballs are baked in a creamy coconut red curry sauce with tender bok choy, then spooned over fluffy jasmine rice. It's a seriously flavour-packed dinner made with simple ingredients and ready in just 50 minutes.
To make the meatballs, add the lamb mince, onion powder, garlic powder, breadcrumbs, egg, spring onion and salt to a large bowl. Use clean hands to mix together until well combined. Take a spoonful of mixture and roll into a ball about the size of a golf ball and place onto a plate. Repeat until all of the mixture has been rolled into balls.
Bring a large shallow casserole pan to a medium heat. Add the olive oil and then the brown onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste and sauté until fragrant. Finally add the fish sauce, coconut milk and broth and stir until well combined.
Turn off the heat and carefully add the meatballs to the pan. Place the lid onto the pan and place into the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, carefully remove from the oven and remove the lid. Place the bok choy pieces into the pan, place the lid on and return the pan to the oven for a further 5 minutes.
While the meatballs cook, add the rice to a large saucepan and top with water. Swish the rice around with clean hands and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Repeat another two times to wash excess starches off the rice. Return the rice to the pan and top with 2 ½ cups water. Place the lid on and bring to a boil. Once boiling, move the lid so that it is half on and half off the pan. Turn the heat to low and simmer until most of the water has been absorbed. Place the lid on properly and turn off the heat. Set aside to steam for around 10 minutes.
Once the meatballs are finished baking, remove from the oven. To serve, spoon rice into four bowls and top each bowl with a piece of the cooked bok choy. Use a ladle to spoon the meatballs and sauce over the rice and bok choy. Top with fresh coriander and serve warm.
Notes
Spice level – this curry is mild and family friendly. For more spice, add 5–6 tablespoons curry paste.Gluten free – use gluten free breadcrumbs and check the labels on your curry paste and fish sauce, as some brands contain gluten. If you aren't gluten intolerant, regular or panko breadcrumbs work well.No oven safe pan? – make the sauce on the stove, then pour it into a baking dish, add the meatballs in a single layer and cover tightly with foil before baking.Swap the protein – ground beef, ground chicken or turkey mince can be used in place of the lamb.Storage – store the meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Store rice separately and eat within 1–2 days.Nutrition facts are an estimate only.