Red Thai meatball & corn curry

Red Thai meatball & corn curry

(Serves 4)

Meatballs

50 ml breadcrumbs
50 ml water
500 g lean beef mince
1 small chopped onion
1 egg
15 ml barbecue spice
5 ml salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
30 ml Worcestershire sauce
60 ml cake flour
30 ml oil

Sauce

1 onion, thinly sliced
50 g Thai red curry paste
400 ml coconut milk or cream
150 ml chicken stock
grated zest of 1 lime
15 ml lime juice
5 ml brown sugar
15 ml fish sauce
40 g coriander pesto
150 g baby corn
150 g mange tout peas
10 ml cornflour mixed with 50 ml water to make a paste (optional, for thickening the sauce)
fresh coriander for serving

• Mix together the breadcrumbs and water and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Drain.
• Mix together the mince, chopped onion, egg, spices, Worcestershire sauce and the soaked, drained breadcrumbs. Mix very well.
• Shape the mixture into 20 small meatballs, each weighing about 35 g.
• Roll each meatball in the flour, then dust off any excess flour.
• Heat 20 ml of the oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium heat and fry the meatballs on all sides until browned all over. Remove from the frying pan and keep aside.
• Add the rest of the oil to the pan and cook the sliced onion for a few minutes until soft. Add the curry paste, then the coconut milk, stock, lime zest, juice, brown sugar and the fish sauce
• Simmer the sauce on low heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the pesto and add the corn and peas – simmer for another 2 minutes. Taste to adjust the seasoning.
• If you prefer the sauce to be slightly thicker, add the cornflour paste at this stage and thicken the sauce before adding the meatballs.
• Return the meatballs to the sauce and heat through.
• Serve with jasmine rice or noodles. Top with fresh coriander.