Curried Meatballs With Eggplant Florence Fabricant Ny Times Food

CURRIED MEATBALLS WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Rinse the rice twice, drain, then place in a saucepan and mix in half the ginger. Add 2 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, cover and cook 15 minutes. Set aside, covered. Heat a large sauté pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Cook on medium-high until seeds start to dance and smell fragrant. Turn off heat. Remove to a mortar. Add chile flakes and pulverize.
• Add 1 tablespoon of the ghee or oil to the pan. Add onion and sauté on low until very lightly browned. Remove. Add remaining ghee or oil and sauté eggplant on medium until lightly browned. Remove.
• Mix ground meat with half the onions, half the ground spices, 6 tablespoons of the rice, the egg, half the mint and salt to taste. Form into 1-inch meatballs. Sauté meatballs in pan on medium until lightly browned. Don't worry if a few of them break up. Remove. Add poblano, remaining ground spice mixture, garam masala and remaining ginger to pan. Sauté on medium until poblano wilts.
• Add tomatoes, simmer on low 5 minutes, scrape bottom of pan, add 1 cup water, then return eggplant, remaining onion and meatballs to pan. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and chile if needed. Reheat rice on low. Dust curry with remaining mint and serve with rice.

MEATBALL CURRY

Steps:

• For the meatballs: In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, chile, ginger, cilantro and 1 teaspoon salt together using your hands until just combined. (Don't mix any more than this or you'll end up with tough meatballs!) Make 16 balls like this: divide the mixture in half, and then in half again. Take each quarter and divide it into 4 small portions. Roll each portion between your palms until smooth. Set aside and repeat for all 16 meatballs
• For the curry: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the coconut oil until nearly smoking. Add the mustard seeds, covering the pan with a lid so you don't get popping seeds all over you.
• When the spluttering subsides, add the shallots, garlic and ginger and cook until golden brown. Then add the ground coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir, and cook 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook until they soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add the coconut milk, 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Turn down to a simmer and add the meatballs. Simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
• To finish, add the cilantro and lime juice. Shake the pan gently to mix them in, and then taste for seasoning. Serve over rice, with Indian bread (naan or chapati) or over spaghetti!

EGGPLANT "MEATBALLS"

Steps:

• Heat a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and saute the garlic in the hot oil until just fragrant and barely starting to lightly brown, about 30 seconds. Add the eggplant and 1/4 cup of water. Lower the heat to low and cover the skillet. Allow the eggplant to steam until soft, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, if you have time.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
• Place the eggplant mixture in a food processor and pulse until well chopped, but not pureed. Or just do this on a cutting board with a knife.
• Transfer the eggplant mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the cheese, parsley, basil, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Stir the mixture well to combine, using your hands or a wooden spoon. The mixture can be refrigerated at this point, covered for up to a day. It is easier to roll into meatballs when the mixture is cooled down. (If doing so, preheat the oven 30 minutes before baking the meatballs.)
• Roll or scoop the mixture using a 1- to 1 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until firm on the outside and light brown underneath.
• Meanwhile, heat the marinara sauce in a large saucepan over low heat until simmering. Transfer the meatballs to the saucepan with marinara sauce. Toss with the sauce and serve.

BRAISED BEEF WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a colander, dust with salt and set aside 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a 4-quart stovetop casserole on medium-high and add the oil. Dry the beef and brown it on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan to a plate. Turn off heat.
• Rinse and dry the eggplant. Reheat the casserole on medium and sear the eggplant, turning frequently, until it is lightly browned, glossy and still somewhat firm, about 10 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a bowl. Add the fennel, onion and garlic to the casserole and sauté on low heat until translucent. Add the diced tomatoes and pastis and cook, stirring, to deglaze the casserole. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, wine and stock, and bring to a simmer. Season with pepper. Add the rosemary and thyme. Return the meat to the casserole, cover and simmer on low heat for 2 hours, turning once or twice during the cooking.
• After 2 hours the meat should be tender. If not, give it another 15 or 20 minutes cooking. Remove it to a cutting board. Discard herb branches from sauce, and stir in the orange zest and tapenade. Season to taste with salt. Add the eggplant to the casserole and simmer 5 minutes, just to reheat it. Slice the beef and arrange on a platter. Give the sauce another quick heating, then spoon it with the eggplant over and around the meat and serve.

EGGPLANT MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place the eggplant on top. Use a fork to prick the eggplant 4 times, then place the eggplant in the oven and roast it until it has completely collapsed and a paring knife easily slips into the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool the eggplant 20 minutes. Leave the oven on.
• Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh (discard the skin). Place the roasted eggplant in a medium bowl and stir in the egg and beans. Add the garlic, basil, parmesan, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine, then mix in the breadcrumbs.
• Again, line the rimmed baking sheet with a clean sheet of foil and lightly mist it with spray. Shape the eggplant mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball (2 tablespoons per ball; you should get about 16). Place them on the prepared baking sheet and lightly mist the top of the balls with spray. Bake the eggplant balls until they are golden brown and firm, about 20 minutes.
• While the meatballs cook, warm the marinara sauce in a small saucepan. Remove the meatballs from the oven, sprinkle with a little extra parmesan and serve with the marinara sauce.

BAKED FARFALLE WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat a broiler or grill. Slice the eggplant one-half-inch thick. Grill or broil it, turning it once, until it is nicely browned. It will look dry and papery. Set it aside.
• Place a pot with four quarts of salted water over high heat.
• Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a heavy skillet, add the onion and saute until golden. Stir in the garlic and hot red pepper. Add the tomatoes and simmer about 15 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper, adding additional hot pepper if desired.
• When the water is boiling, add the farfalle and cook until it is just tender, about eight minutes. Drain it well; toss it with a tablespoon of the oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Oil a baking dish 8 by 12 inches with half a tablespoon of the oil and spread one-third of the farfalle in the dish. Spread half the eggplant on the farfalle and spoon on one-third of the tomato sauce. Top with half the mozzarella. Repeat with a layer of farfalle, the rest of the eggplant, half the remaining tomato sauce and the rest of the mozzarella. Spread the remaining farfalle and tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and remaining oil. Set aside until half an hour before serving time. If you refrigerate it, be sure to bring the dish to room temperature before baking.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the top has browned.

CURRIED MEATBALLS WITH EGGPLANT - FLORENCE FABRICANT - NY TIMES

Steps:

• Rinse the rice twice, drain, then place in a saucepan and mix in half the ginger. Add 2 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, cover and cook 15 minutes. Set aside, covered. Heat a large sauté pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Cook on medium-high until seeds start to dance and smell fragrant. Turn off heat. Remove to a mortar. Add chile flakes and pulverize. 2.Add 1 tablespoon of the ghee or oil to the pan. Add onion and sauté on low until very lightly browned. Remove. Add remaining ghee or oil and sauté eggplant on medium until lightly browned. Remove. 3.Mix ground meat with half the onions, half the ground spices, 6 tablespoons of the rice, the egg, half the mint and salt to taste. Form into 1-inch meatballs. Sauté meatballs in pan on medium until lightly browned. Don't worry if a few of them break up. Remove. Add poblano, remaining ground spice mixture, garam masala and remaining ginger to pan. Sauté on medium until poblano wilts. 4.Add tomatoes, simmer on low 5 minutes, scrape bottom of pan, add 1 cup water, then return eggplant, remaining onion and meatballs to pan. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and chile if needed. Reheat rice on low. Dust curry with remaining mint and serve with rice.

CURRIED MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Meatballs:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Purée scallions, jalapeños, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and cayenne in a blender until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add beef, egg, yogurt, and salt. Mix with your hands until mixture is homogenous and starts to become very sticky like sausage meat, about 1 minute. Using a 2-oz. ice cream scoop to portion if you like, roll beef mixture into golf ball-size portions and place on baking sheet, spacing 1" apart (you should have about 24). Drizzle meatballs with more oil and bake until browned on top and cooked through, 20-25 minutes.
• Curry Sauce:
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Add onions, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent and starting to brown, 8-10 minutes. Stir in chiles, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and peppercorns. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is very fragrant and spices begin to stick to the pot, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, stirring and scraping bottom of pot, and bring to a boil. Add bay leaf, 1 Tbsp. salt, and 2 cups water; return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors have melded, 25-30 minutes.
• Let curry sauce cool slightly, then transfer to a blender; blend until very smooth. Wipe out any bits remaining in pot and transfer curry sauce back to pot. Stir in lemon juice and cayenne; taste sauce and season with more salt if needed.
• Gently nestle cooked meatballs into sauce, bring to a simmer, and cook until meatballs are heated all the way through, 10-15 minutes. Serve topped with cilantro.
• Do Ahead
• Meatballs and sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; transfer to an airtight container and chill. Gently reheat meatballs in sauce, covered, thinning with water if sauce is too thick.

CURRIED EGGPLANT CAVIAR

Steps:

• Cook the eggplant in the oven or over a flame as described above. Set aside to cool.
• Heat the oil in a skillet and add the mustard seeds, stirring until they make popping noises. Add the onion and sautee until soft, then add the garlic, ginger and chili. Sautee for three to four minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook for a few minutes longer.
• Scrape the eggplant pulp from the skin and mash it. Add the curry mixture, the tomtoes and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt, stir in the yogurt and serve warm or at room temperature.

VEGETARIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the bulgur, remove from heat, cover and let sit until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, pressing to remove excess water, then let cool.
• Prepare the coating: In a shallow bowl, combine the oil, 1/2 cup bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan; mix until well blended and crumbly. Set aside.
• Prepare the meatballs: In a food processor, pulse garlic until finely chopped. Add mushrooms, and pulse until chopped, with pea-size pieces remaining (do not purée). Transfer to a large bowl. Add the chickpeas to the food processor, pulse, then add them to the mushrooms. Add the remaining 1/3 cup breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan, plus the bulgur, egg, ricotta, fennel seeds, oregano, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon water; mix until well blended.
• Form the meatball mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs (you should have about 24). Roll meatballs in the coating, pressing gently to adhere, then arrange on a greased baking sheet. Bake, turning halfway through, until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve with marinara sauce, for dipping.

CRISPY LAMB MEATBALLS WITH CHICKPEAS AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Combine lamb, fennel seeds, garlic and 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and black pepper to taste, and mix until everything is well combined and the spices are evenly distributed.
• Using your hands, roll lamb mixture into balls about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter, placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate. You should have about 12 meatballs.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs - work in batches if your skillet can't comfortably fit them all without crowding - and cook, gently rotating them occasionally so they more or less brown on all sides while keeping a vaguely round shape, 8 to 10 minutes. (Do not stress about this part; they will be delicious no matter what shape they are.) After they are evenly browned and cooked through, transfer them to a plate, leaving the fat and any browned bits behind.
• Add 4 tablespoons oil to the skillet and, working in batches, if needed, add eggplant slices in an even layer, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook the slices, flipping them once, until they are browned on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add more oil as needed. After eggplant slices are cooked and browned, transfer them to the plate with the meatballs.
• Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to the skillet, along with chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, shaking the skillet and stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are nicely browned, 3 to 5 minutes. (They won't exactly crisp; you're just looking to take the edge off and get them nicely seasoned.)
• Season yogurt with salt and pepper and smear onto the bottom of a large plate or serving platter. Top with meatballs, eggplant and chickpeas. Scatter with greens and cilantro, and then squeeze lemon halves over everything before serving.