This easy roasted red pepper curry comes together is the perfect weeknight dinner. The meatballs are baked in the oven then added to a creamy curry sauce made with a whole jar of roasted red peppers, coconut milk and fragrant spices. Served over basmati rice with a squeeze of lime, everything comes together in just 30 minutes. Dairy free, gluten free, healthy and most importantly… so delicious!
How to Make Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Curry
My favorite part about this recipe is how easy it is to pull together. It does require a few pieces of equipment, so it’s not a one pot meal, but I think the flavor more than makes up for that.
Start off by making the meatballs. You can use lean ground turkey or chicken. The first time around I made these with 99% lean ground turkey and the texture got a little weird, so aim for around 93%. This will help keep the meatballs moist and stay together in the sauce.
The meatballs bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, giving you the perfect amount of time to whip up the roasted red pepper curry sauce while they cook. To get that smooth, creamy texture, blend a whole jar of (drained) roasted red peppers with a whole can of full fat coconut milk. Set that aside while you toast the spices.
I find that using whole spices adds more flavor to the curry. You’ll need to crush them first, ideally use a mortar and pestle, but any heavy will do. To release more flavor, I like to heat a little oil to the skillet along with my spices and toast them for a couple minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when they start to smell delicious. Once the spices are ready, just scrape in the roasted red pepper mixture, add a pinch of sugar and salt, and you’re good to go! The final step is adding in your baked meatballs and simmering for another few minutes to let the flavors meld together.
What To Serve with Roasted Red Pepper Meatball Curry
For me, there’s nothing better than a creamy curry served with fluffy basmati rice and fresh homemade naan. The homemade naan is totally optional, but definitely worth it if you have the time!If you’re looking for an easy vegetable side, I recommend some steamed green beans or roasted cauliflower.
To make this curry vegetarian/vegan just substitute 1 28 oz can of drained and rinsed chickpeas in place of the meatballs. When making the sauce, toast the ginger and garlic with the spices before adding the roasted red pepper/coconut mixture. Continue with the recipe as written then simmer on low for 15-20 minutes until the chickpeas are heated through and tender.
Tools You’ll Need
- Large lidded skillet
- High speed blender or food processor
- Mortar and pestle
- Sheet pan
Want more weeknight dinners? Try these:
- Creamy miso sweet potato soup w/ crunchy seed brittle
- Blackened salmon citrus bowls
- Healthy seed crusted chicken tenders
- Chickpea noodle soup
Made this recipe? Tag @wandering_chickpea on Instagram!
Roasted Red Pepper Meatball Curry
The easiest meatball curry made with a whole jar of roasted red peppers. Serve as a healthy dinner with fresh naan and basmati rice.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb lean ground turkey or chicken
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 inch ginger, peeled and grated
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 3/4 tsp salt
For the curry sauce
- 1 16 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained
- 1 13.5 oz can full fat unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 1/2 tsp fennel seed, crushed
- 2 tsp cumin seed, crushed
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- Juice from 1/2 lime
To serve (optional)
- Fresh cilantro, cooked basmati rice and/or naan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To make the meatballs, combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Coat your hands with a little oil and roll the meatballs into golf ball sized balls. (about 2 tbsp each ~ 22-24 meatballs total)
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center,
- While the meatballs bake, make the curry sauce. In the bowl of a food processor or high speed blender, add roasted red pepper and coconut milk. Blend until smooth and creamy-- about 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- In a large lidded skillet, heat oil over medium low heat. Add in crushed fennel seed, cumin seed and paprika. Toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the roasted red pepper/coconut mixture and stir in salt and sugar. Bring to a boil and place the cooked meatballs into the skillet. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and let cook 5 another minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, taste for salt and add more as needed. Serve fresh over basmati rice with chopped cilantro and naan.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 572Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 138mgSodium: 1333mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 4gSugar: 15gProtein: 42g
All nutritional info is an estimation
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