Tender baked chicken meatballs filled with pistachios smothered in sweet and spicy creamy garam masala sauce. The perfect balance of flavors, spices, and textures. 

This recipe is inspired by the ingredients in butter chicken adapted in a way that Garam Masala becomes the feature of the dish. 

What is Garam Masala

Garam Masala is a blend of spices originally from South Asia. It has many variations per region and according to personal taste.  Traditionally, it is composed of Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cumin, Coriander, Cloves or allspice, Mace (the outer covering of nutmeg), and black peppercorns. These are the ingredients of the one I used for this recipe.

You could make your own garam masala but nowadays it is widely available online and in grocery stores.

Ingredients and notes

• The meatballs and the sauce are infused with garam masala and ginger. I added pistachios to the meatballs and they pair amazingly with the sweet and warm notes of garam masala and ginger.
• Baked meatballs are the perfect addition to this dish. They’re not only healthier they also require less supervision, so while they are baking you can start to make the sauce.
• Adding a slice of bread (crust removed) soaked in 2 tbs of milk or water to the meatballs will keep them moist and prevent them from drying in the oven.
• Curry madras contains chili peppers, which give the dish some heat without being overpowering.  You can perfectly use regular curry if you prefer.
• I like to add a pinch of arrowroot or cornstarch (about a quarter of a tsp) to the yogurt to prevent it from curdling.
• I added golden raisins and brown sugar to sweeten the sauce and this really brought all the ingredients together in an incredible way.
• If you prefer a more intense coconut flavor you can replace the olive oil with coconut oil.

How to make baked chicken meatballs:

1. Beat all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl before adding the chicken, panko, and bread to avoid overworking the chicken. 
2. Add the chicken, panko, and soaked bread to the egg mixture. Mix gently with your hands.
3. Spray or rub some olive oil on your hands and roll the meatballs gently. I use a 1 tbs cookie scoop to form the meatballs so that all will all be the same size and cook at the same time. Rubbing your hands with olive oil will prevent the meatballs from sticking to your hands and will be make rolling them easier.
4. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 12-15 minutes; they will continue cooking while in the sauce. 

How to make garam masala sauce

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan at medium temperature and add the onion. Saute for 4-5 minutes until translucent and add the garlic.
2. Add the spices and sauté for a few minutes(sautéing the spices will wake up all the flavors).  Stir in the raisins and cook for a minute. Pour broth or water to deglaze the pan.
3. Pour coconut milk, yogurt, butter, and sugar and stir continuously.
4. The sauce will start thicken very quickly from the addition of yogurt and the pinch of arrowroot. Add the meatballs, simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens and meatballs are heated through. 

The meatballs are soft and tender with the right amount of spice and crunch from the pistachios. The sweetness and warm flavors of garam masala are enhanced by the addition of raisins and brown sugar in the sauce. The combination of the creamy sauce and the meatballs gives you a balanced blend of flavors and textures.

Serve over basmati rice with warm naan bread on the side.  Sprinkle with chopped pistachios, red pepper flakes (if you want more heat) and fresh parsley. They are also delicious over pearl couscous, orzo, rice pilaf, or quinoa. 

This has quickly become one of our favorite recipes, I hope it becomes one of yours too!

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Creamy Garam Masala Chicken Meatballs

Yield: 5 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Tender baked chicken meatballs with pistachios smothered in sweet and spicy creamy garam masala sauce. The perfect balance of flavors and textures. 

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Ingredients

Chicken Meatballs

• 1 lb (500 gr) of ground chicken
• 1 egg
• 2 tbs of pistachios, chopped, plus more for serving
• 2 tbs of fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for serving
• 1 tsp of garam masala
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp of fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 cup of panko
• 1 slice of bread, crust removed - I used regular sandwich bread
• 2 tbs of milk, or water
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp of black pepper
• 1 tbs of low sodium soy sauce (optional)

Sauce

• 1 tbs of olive oil
• 2 tbs of butter, divided
• 1/2 sweet or yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1/2 cup of raisins
• 1/2 cup of low-fat plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup of chicken, vegetable broth, or water. You may need more to adjust the thickness of the sauce.
• 1 tsp of turmeric
• 1 tsp of curry (Madras)
• 1.5 tsp of garam masala
• 1/2 tsp of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp of brown sugar
• 1 (13.8 oz) can of coconut milk
• Salt and pepper to taste - I used 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with cooking spray or olive oil
2. Soak the slice of bread in 2 tsp of water or milk for about 5 minutes.
3. Whisk the egg, pistachios, fresh parsley, garam masala (1.5 tsp), grated ginger, garlic, soy sauce (if using), salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Squeeze some of the liquid from the slice of bread and add it to the mix with the chicken and panko. Gently mix the chicken and the bread with your hands, add the panko. Mix until the mixture is moist but not too sticky. Try not to overmix the chicken.
4. Spray or rub your hands with olive oil and start to form the meatballs. I use a cookie scoop so that the meatballs are the same size and cook evenly at the same time.. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet, separated by about 1 inch, and bake for 12 minutes or until they start to toast or look lightly toasted.
5. While the meatballs are in the oven, heat the olive oil and 1 tbs of butter in a large saucepan at medium heat. I used a 12" saucepan. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper, add the ginger and the rest of the spices (garam masala, turmeric, curry).
6. Stir in the raisins and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add broth or water to deglaze the pan.
7. Lower the heat and add the coconut milk, stir in the yogurt and the brown sugar (lowering the heat with temper the yogurt and milk). Adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
8. Add the meatballs and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the meatballs are completely heated through. Whisk more broth or water into the sauce to adjust the thickness to your preference.

Serve over white rice with warm pita bread on the side, sprinkle crushed pistachios and fresh parsley and enjoy!

Notes

I baked the meatballs for 12 minutes and finished cooking them in the sauce at low-medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes. If you want to ensure your meatballs are fully done, insert a food thermometer through the center and it should read 165 F (75 C) - thats the safe temperature for poultry per the Department of Health.

The recipe calls for 1/4 of tsp of salt in the meatballs since I used salted pistachios, otherwise, I would have used 1/2 tsp.

Nutrition Information

Yield 5 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 423Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 70mgSodium 760mgCarbohydrates 38gFiber 3gSugar 17gProtein 13g

This nutritional information is indicative and is not always accurate. It is provided for informational purposes only.

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