mango curry chickpea meatballs
When life throws you mangoes, make curry?
So. I’m fully aware it isn’t mango season. But sometimes you find yourself with a couple mystery mangoes on your counter and nowhere to put them, and being me I wasn’t keen on letting them rot. What does one do in that case? Think of what kind of shit I can throw into a pot for a quick, delicious dinner that uses up those tender little fruits.
Sometimes, those bits of science yield the absolute best lab reports. The ones that make you famous and crap. While I don’t expect fortune and publicity from this recipe, I promise the Mango Curry Chickpea Meatballs will slide into your weekly menu more than once either this season or others.
The beauty of curries in general is their diversity. The essence of the sauce is a bunch of fragrant spices, and my classic vegetarian meatballs are laced with turmeric, garlic, and a hint of cumin to add even more to the dish. And please, do not fear the apple cider in the ingredient list. It does not clash with the fruit, it merely underlines the flavors in the sauce and really brings them forth.
Meaty, But No Meat
The chickpea meatballs have appeared more than once on FMG because I adore the recipe so much. The base is chickpeas, breadcrumbs, and egg, accentuated this time with garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and some green onions. Whiz it up in a food processor until a nice tacky batter forms. If it’s really sticky, you can add a bit of flour, but I did not have this problem.
Form the batter into meatballs – I got 14 out of it, but depending on how you size them expect 12-16 – and pan fry until crisp on all sides. Move off to a plate.
Curry Flurry
In the same pan, toast a heap of spices until it smells like an Indian restaurant in your kitchen. But don’t burn them, please. Finish with a pat of butter for richness and a bit of tomato paste.
Pour in the apple cider, coconut milk, and some broccoli, because green shit is good shit. Like I said, the cider is not going to make your curry taste like apples. The sweetness compliments the mango very well, and the warming cinnamon and spice gives depth to the coconut sauce. Simmer everything together until the broccoli softens.
Add the meatballs back into the skillet along with mango chunks and lime juice. Gently bathe the meatballs in the sauce, which will continue to thicken as it cools.
The little salad I made is optional, but also a collection of shit I had around (I’ve said shit a lot in this post, haven’t I? Just the kind of day it’s been). I tossed together some more mango and a random peach with Persian cucumbers, chopped cilantro and basil, and lime juice. You can wedge each individual component into your bowl as you wish instead of making a salad, though, if you’d like.
Again, use what you have around. If you don’t have mango, you can easily take it out. The meatballs and sauce are the most important components, and the broccoli because veggies are always nice. Hell, you can pull that out too and replace it with Brussels sprouts, snap peas, pepper. Whatever goes!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Feeling meat(less)y?
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mango curry chickpea meatballs
Ingredients
turmeric chickpea meatballs
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 green onions
- 1-2 tbsp flour, as needed
mango curry
- 2 shallots, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
- 2 cups diced mango
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- steamed rice, extra mango, cucumber slices, chopped cilantro, and lime juice, to serve.
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients for the chickpea meatballs except for the flour, along with a big pinch of salt and pepper, until a smooth batter forms. The batter should be tacky, but not sticky. If it seems too wet, add 1 tablespoons of flour at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Form the batter into 12-16 meatballs. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium. Sear the meatballs for 10 minutes, turning every couple minutes until each side is browned. Move to a plate.
- To the same skillet, add the shallot and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, curry powder, cumin, and turmeric. Toast for 5 minutes until very fragrant. Stir in the butter until melted, then the tomato paste.
- Pour in the coconut milk, apple cider, and broccoli. Simmer until the sauce thickens and the broccoli softens, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the mango chunks and lime juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Spoon curry over bowls of steamed rice. Serve with extra mango, chopped cilantro or basil, and lime juice, as desired.
