Mellow Meatballs

I came across this rather bland sounding dish in Nigella Lawson's cookbook Nigella Express. I've made it twice now, and it is quick and delicious.

Mellow Meatballs

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
3 tablespoons red curry paste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
40 organic mini meatballs (1 lb 5 oz in weight) *SEE NOTE BELOW
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 14-fl oz can coconut milk (I have used lite coconut milk with no noticeable loss in flavor)
1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes
1 14-oz can chickpeas, drained
6 oz diced butternut squash  

6 oz diced sweet potato
2 cups chicken stock from bouillon cubes or concentrate or from a package
2 tablespoons honey
cooked rice, to serve
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the curry paste and oil in a large wide pan, and when it starts sizzling add the meatballs, turning them in the red oily mixture.
2. Sprinkle over the ginger and cinnamon and fry the meatballs for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, and drained chickpeas. Stir in the diced squash and sweet potato and then the stock and honey.
4. Bring the pan to a boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with rice and then decorate each plate with some chopped cilantro

Note

Maybe they exist in the U.K., but I've not found 'organic mini meatballs' at my local Kroger. I buy the precooked frozen Swedish meatballs from Kroger and just weigh them out. No need to defrost, I just add them frozen when the recipe says and I've had no problems.

Enjoy.