Curried Meatballs with Lemon

I have to be honest – this is my husbands recipe.  He is the spice master in our household.  My attempts at curries don’t hold a candle to his.  He very kindly let me share this recipe with you all.

Spices are outrageously good for you and contain a myriad of health benefits.  Not only this but they also add amazing depth of flavour and character to food.

Here is a bit of a breakdown into some of the health properties of the spices in this dish:

Cumin – aids in digestion.  It is also great for the skin as it is rich in Vitamin E and has dis-infectant and anti-fungal properties.  These also make it fantastic for treating colds.  The aromatic essential oils in cumin help to loosen and dry up excessive and accumulative phlegm -which in turn helps to suppress the cough reflex in the respiratory system.  And on top of all this, Cumin is also rich in iron and vitamin C which are essential for a healthy immune system.

Coriander – along with cumin, coriander is also great for digestion.  It is rich in calcium and iron.  Coriander is also becoming increasingly popular in helping with diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Coriander has anti-inflammatory properties which make it great reducing symptoms in skin inflammation and skin disorders – these also make it useful for healing mouth ulcers.  While we are on the topic of healthy mouths, apparantly coriander seeds were chewed to help freshen breath and can be found as an ingredient in some all-natural toothpastes.

Ginger & Turmeric – These two plants are closely related and both share anti-inflammatory and healing properties.  They have also both been linked with reducing the risk of cancer when consumed regularly.

Ginger is well-known for its ani-nausea properties.

Curried Meatballs with Lemon

500gm beef mince

3/4 bunch of garlic (approx 5 bulbs)

1 good sized knob of fresh ginger

2-4 fresh chillis (depending on how much spice you want)

3 knobs of fresh turmeric (or 1 heaped tbsp of powdered turmeric)

1 tsp salt

1 large handful of fresh coriander

1 egg, beaten

1 lemon (to serve)

Coconut oil or ghee for frying

Add peeled garlic, ginger and turmeric, chopped chillis and salt to a mortar and ground to a paste with your pestle. You could do this with a food processor also – just add a tiny bit of olive oil.

Add coriander powder, cumin powder and mix until combined.

Add spice mix to mince along with beaten egg and chopped fresh coriander.  Mix together well with hands.  Roll mixture into small balls.

Fry at a high heat until nicely browned and cooked in centre (a little pink in the middle is fine).

Add a generous squeeze of lemon juice right before serving.  Serve with extra lemon wedges.