food & dining
Thai Turkey Meatballs with
Coconut Curry Sauce
KERI WHITE | SPECIAL TO THE JE
T his dish is a great way to use ground
turkey which, let’s be honest, can
sometimes be on the dry, bland side.

The curry can be made as spicy or mild
as desired and, even though it is a bit
exotic, meatballs and noodles are quite
familiar, so picky eaters may go for it. I
opted to make spice paste, but to simplify
the preparation and save time, jarred
green curry paste is an excellent hack.

Use about a third of a cup of curry paste
in place of the garlic/ginger/onion/chilis.

This dish was delicious served atop
brown rice noodles, but it would be equally
swell over rice. I completed the meal with a
miso-dressed salad, but the options for veg-
gie sides are nearly limitless — greens sau-
téed with ginger and garlic, carrots roasted
with soy and miso, cabbage sautéed with
sesame oil and sesame seeds, et cetera.

In a large bowl, mix all the ingre-
dients until thoroughly blended.

Refrigerate them while you make the
curry sauce.

Thai Turkey Meatballs in
Coconut Curry Sauce
In a blender or food processor, puree
the chili, onion, garlic, ginger and oil.

Pour the mixture into a large skillet,
and heat until fragrant. Using wet
hands, form the turkey mixture into
meatballs a bit smaller than a golf ball,
and place the meatballs in the skillet
— add more oil to prevent sticking.

Sear the meatballs, and turn them
over until they are seared on all sides.

During this step, scrape the skillet
bottom to make sure the seasonings
do not burn and to distribute them
Serves 2 with leftovers or 4 without
Photos by Keri White
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
For the meatballs:
1 pound ground turkey
½ cup finely minced onion
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh
chili pepper
¼-½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup plain panko
For the curry sauce:
1 whole hot chili pepper
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
2-inch piece ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 can coconut milk
½ cup chicken broth
To finish:
Juice of 1 lime, plus additional
wedges for serving
1 handful chopped fresh cilantro,
divided among the meatballs.

When all sides of the meatballs are
seared, shake the can of coconut milk
well, and add it to the skillet along
with the chicken broth. Stir carefully,
making sure not to break up the
meatballs. Cover and simmer for 30
minutes until done.

Five minutes before serving,
remove it from heat, add half of the
cilantro and the juice of one lime. Stir,
cover and let it sit for a few minutes.

Serve the meatballs over rice or
noodles with additional fresh cilantro
and lime wedges.

Green Salad with Miso Dressing
Serves 4
1 head romaine lettuce or 1 package
baby lettuce
2 carrots, grated
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 scallion, white and green parts, sliced
For the dressing:
Juice of ½ lime
¼ cup miso (any type)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
Place all the salad ingredients in a
large, shallow bowl. Mix the ingre-
dients well, making sure to break up
the miso, and thoroughly blend it to
an even consistency, either with a
fork or a blender.

Toss it over the salad just before
serving. JE
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