My Thai Style Chicken Meatballs are full of flavour, easily made and ideal to serve as a delicious appetiser! Red curry paste, coriander, kaffir lime and garlic combine for a tasty meatball. Try these at your next dinner party or drinks catch up – they’re sure to be popular with your family and friends!
20gm(0.75 oz) mung bean vermicelli noodlesSee Note 1
½cupchopped coriander - leaves and some stemsSee Note 2
1kaffir lime leaf - centre vein removed and the leaf chopped finelySee Note 3
2 ½tablespooncoconut cream - not milkSee Note 4
2tablespoonfish sauce
1tablespoonlime juice - freshly squeezed
1teaspoonred curry paste - or to tasteSee Note 5
1clovegarlic - minced
500gm(1.1 lb) ground chicken mince
1smallcarrot - finely grated
Instructions
Soak the vermicelli noodles in cold water until softened - about 10 minutes. Drain them then cover with boiling water. Stand for about 2 minutes or until soft. Drain completely, turn onto a chopping board and cut into lengths about 3 cm (1 inch). Set them aside.
Grease two 12-hole mini muffin pans.
Preheat your oven to 190 Degrees C (375 F).
In a small food processor, blend the coriander leaves and stems, finely sliced kaffir lime leaf, coconut cream, fish sauce, lime juice, red curry paste and crushed garlic until well combined. Pour into a mixing bowl.
To your blended mixture, add the grated carrot, vermicelli noodles and ground chicken mince. Mix well until just combined but do not over mix.
Spoon the mixture into the two muffin tins, filling them just above the top of each hole. Or, use a small ice cream scoop to make even sizes. Alternatively, you can scoop them onto a lined baking tray. Ensure they are a similar size so they cook evenly.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until just cooked through.A thermometer should read an internal temperature of 74 degrees C (165 F)
Turn onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve immediately with a dipping sauce or set them aside to cool and refrigerate if using later.
Notes
Mung bean vermicelli: are also called bean thread noodles or cellophane or glass noodles because of their transparent appearance. They are made from mung bean flour and when cooked, they are clear like glass. The dry noodles are fine, wiry and tough and come in bundles. They are readily available in the supermarket.
Coriander/cilantro: use some of the stems as well as the coriander leaves. The stems also have great flavour and will be cut finely in the food processor.
Fresh Kaffir lime leaves: are available from Asian grocers and some supermarkets. If you are not able to buy fresh, you may be able to buy frozen. Store the unused fresh leaves in a zip-lock bag in the freezer.
Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
Red curry paste: we use Mae Ploy. Brands vary in their strength, and if you are using a different brand, you may require more paste. If you are unsure, cook a little of the mixture to test the flavours.