I will now shock you all with an amazingly short sentence: I love Aarti Sequeira.  I have loved her ever since I saw her two seasons ago on The Next Food Network Star because she was positively effervescent (making her a joy to watch), and because her food, which I would call Indian fusion, filled a gap in modern American home cooking.  Most of her recipes are bang-tidy delicious, especially her tikka masala, Bombay sloppy joes, and pulled pork. (Aarti’s food network page)

Feeling fanciful and craving some quick Indian flavor, I recently made her Meatball Curry; it was very tasty, but using ground beef and full-fat coconut milk screamed “FAT!” and “CHOLESTEROL!” to me.  And while I generally eat healthily and a meal like this wouldn’t do much harm to my insides, I have several family members and loved ones who struggle with weight or insanely high cholesterol.  So, in honor of them, I’ve decided to make a lighter version that hopefully doesn’t lack flavor.  Read on for the recipe (and boo, I forgot to take a picture)!

Turkey Meatball Curry with Pasta
Serves 4.

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey
1 green serrano, minced, or, if you can’t find them, a jalapeno or two
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
2 tbsp non-fat plain yogurt
zest of one lime
kosher salt

For the curry:

2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 onion, diced (about 1 cup)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1, 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 medium tomatoes, finely diced
1 tbsp flour
1, 14-oz can low-fat coconut milk
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp non-fat yogurt
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime (about 2 tsp)
splash of rice wine vinegar
1 lb whole wheat spaghetti

In a large bowl, mix together the turkey, serrano, ginger, cilantro, yogurt, lime zest and 1 tsp of kosher salt lightly until it just comes together; don’t overmix.  Happily grab clumps of meat and roll delicately into ball-form; figure about 30 tablespoon-sized turkey yummies.

Then, grab a large heavy-bottomed skillet, ideally a cast-iron, and heat the canola oil until very hot and shimmery.  Add the mustard seeds and quickly clamp a lid over it, because they will go POP POP POP and try to assault you.

After the noise subsides, add the onions, garlic, ginger and cook, stirring regularly, until golden brown.  Add coriander, cumin, and cayenne and let cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, to let the spices bloom.  Add the diced tomatoes and brown sugar and cook for 5 more minutes, until they’re soft and squishy.  Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the coconut milk, yogurt, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp salt, and a splash of rice vinegar and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, add the meatballs, and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15-20 minutes (depending on how big you made your balls).  Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to the boil and add your pasta, cooking to al dente.

When the meatballs are cooked through, add the cilantro and lime juice, and serve over the whole wheat pasta.