Sunday, February 5, 2012

Curry Meatballs and Veggies (grain-free, GAPS/primal/paleo-friendly)

Subtly spiced with curry, garlic, and fresh ginger, this is one of our favorite recipes.  It also freezes well. My family has been enjoying this recipe for curry spiced meatballs since just a few months into our GAPS journey.  I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to post it for you all!

I tend to try to avoid dirty dishes as much as possible, and that is why this is a one-pot meal.  If you don't mind extra dirty dishes, you could cook the meatballs in a separate skillet and then transfer them to the pot with the veggies when it is time to add the broth. That would be a bit easier.

Curry Meatballs and Veggies
  1. Combine the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl. Use a spoon or your hands to make sure the ingredients are well-mixed.  Use a large spoon or 3-Tb scoop to make the meatballs and set them aside.  They can also easily be made several hours in advance and refrigerated until cooking time.
  2. Melt 2 Tb coconut oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.  Add the veggies and a little sprinkle of salt. I like to cook the harder veggies (carrots, onions, broccoli, bok choy stems) for about ten minutes before adding any quicker-cooking veggies (like zucchini, bok choy leaves, or snap peas). Cook the veggies in the coconut oil, stirring occasionally.  
  3. Once the veggies are mostly cooked, push them to the side of the pan and scoot the pan so that the veggies are not directly over the flame/heating element.  
  4. Melt the remaining 2 Tb coconut oil and brown the meatballs.  Turn them after a few minutes.  There is no need to make sure the meatballs are completely cooked at this stage, so just brown the outside.
  5. Add the garlic to the pan and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
  6. Add the broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, and curry powder. Gently stir the meatballs and veggies together.
  7. Allow the meatballs and veggies to simmer for about 5-10 minutes in the broth.  Cover the pan if the broth is cooking down too quickly. Taste the veggies/broth and adjust the salt as necessary.
  8. Ladle into bowls and serve! The meatballs and veggies make a great meal on their own, or you can pair them with a simple side of spaghetti squash or brown rice.  Enjoy!

*To make this recipe GAPS-legal, omit the soy sauce or try substituting coconut aminos. Make sure you add a pinch more salt if you omit the soy sauce.  After several months on GAPS, my family never had any problem eating a little soy sauce now and then. 
**Make sure your fish sauce is sugar-free to make this GAPS-legal.  There is such a small amount used in this recipe that my family had no problems with Thai Kitchen fish sauce (which is the only kind I can get locally) while on GAPS.

This post is part of Fat Tuesday and Monday Mania! 

18 comments:

Diane Jaquay said...

Would coconut aminos be OK in place of the soy sauce for GAPS? I don't follow GAPS myself, so I don't know all their rules (I do Primal), but lots of people use it in place of soy sauce. I have a jar in my pantry but haven't opened it yet to try it out.

DebP said...

Made the meatballs today and my 5-yr old asked for more- and ate them without ketchup! I'm in love with the "sauce" Thank you Sarah!!

Monica said...

Hi Sarah,

I was wondering how are you feeling with Matt's program so far. Are you restricting any sugars, or are you allowed to have fruit, fruit juices, honey, etc.?

Sarah Smith said...

Wonderful, Deb! Thanks for letting me know!

Sarah Smith said...

Hi Monica,
I started Matt's RRARF program about a month ago. I'm not restricting sugars (although I still primarily eat honey since my husband is still on GAPS). I am also still eating fruit (just as I was on GAPS). The big differences for me on Matt's program are eating starches like corn and potatoes, and resting a lot more. And I am eating more and making sure not to skip any meals or snacks at all.

So long as I make sure to eat starches, I am noticing much more consistent energy levels. I have also noticed some good changes in my menstrual cycle (which I will be blogging about soon), such as a more normal period.

Sarah Smith said...

Hi Diane,
I personally wouldn't recommend using the coconut aminos because of the following info written by Sally Fallon in the WAPF chapter leaders discussion group:
"The Braggs liquid aminos are producing by hydrolyzing soy, and a LOT Of MSG is produced. They had to take "No MSG" off the label a few years ago."

Soliloquy said...

Coconut aminos are different than Bragg's soy aminos. Coconut aminos are GAPS legal, it is raw fermented coconut sap. Question #27 on this page http://www.gaps.me/preview/?page_id=32 We enjoy coconut aminos as a condiment as well as a marinade ingredient. It's sweeter than soy sauce but an excellent substitute.

Monica said...

Hi Sarah,

Thank you for your response. I am looking into getting back my period after two years of absence. I am reading about Ray Peat and also about Matt's work also. I am still deciding weather I should try Matt's RRARF of Dr. Peat's program. Have you read about Ray Peat's work?

Sarah Smith said...

Thank you for the clarification, Soliloquy! Do you use the coconut aminos anywhere you would normally use soy sauce?

Sarah Smith said...

Hi Monica,
I haven't read Ray Peat's work yet, although Matt references him heavily. If you want some details about the changes I've noticed in my period: previously my cycle was too short (20-25 days); after one month on RRARF it was 29 days. Previously, my cycles was VERY light, mostly just spotting for about 9 days. After one month on RRARF, I actually had light flow for the first few days of my cycle, and didn't keep spotting for days like previously. Good luck, and let me know what works for you!

Soliloquy said...

Yes and in the same amount. Coconut aminos are sweeter than soy sauce so if a recipe has honey, you might need less. Coconut aminos taste a lot like teriyaki sauce.

Sarah Smith said...

Great, thanks!

Christi said...

Just wanted to let you know we LOVED this! I used turkey meatballs but kept everything else the same. Thanks for the great recipe!

Sarah Smith said...

Thanks for letting me know, Christi!

Donna said...

Hi,
I was reading your website after I came across Joette's blog about homeopathy and wow! I really enjoyed it.
This recipe sounds wonderful, and I will certainly try it and check others as well. So much great info, thanks!

Judy said...

Coconut aminos are not the same as Bragg's Liquid Aminos.I have a bottle here and the ingredients are : organic coconut sap aged and blended with Sun-Dried Mineral-Rich salt. It doesn't taste exactly like soy sauce, but is close enough that it can be used as a substitute in recipes. Coconut Aminos are GAPS friendly according to
http://www.gaps.me/preview/?page_id=32

Sarah Smith said...

Thanks Judy!

Judy said...

Just saw that someone already wrote this info further down the list....I would agree. The coconut aminos are sweeter than soy and it doesn't have as strong of a flavor. It has been a life saver for this Asian food lover on GAPS.