Panang Meatballs with Pasta

We made this transcontinental lunch a couple of Sundays ago but for some reason got way laid and didn’t get around to posting it. Had thought about calling it Almost Panang Meatballs because once I started cooking it, realised that I didn’t have all the ingredients that the web recipe had for “original” Panang Meatballs. Peanut butter was the delinquent ingredient, which despite popular myth (now debunked) is usually a constant in our kitchen. Anyway, call it Panang or Almost Panang Meatballs, it worked and its time to spread the good cheer… (Prep Time: 5 minutes. Cooking time: 22 minutes)

Panang Meatballs with Pasta Ingredients

Ground beef – 500 gm
Flour – 2 tbspn
Red curry powder – 2 tbpsn – we had some leftover from a Thai food do-it-yourself kit but I’m sure that red chilli powder and whatever the Indian equivalent of curry powder is could be substituted (no apologies to the puritans!)
Sugar – 1 tbspn
Fish sauce – 1 tbspn
Coconut milk – 1 ½ cups
Conchiglie – the shell macaroni. Make however much you want really. And since this is not traditionally an Italian dish and the Cosa Nostra will probably take down this blog for it, you can use pretty much any kind of pasta.
Olive oil – 1 tbspn
Peanut butter – 2 tbspn – the difference between Almost and not Almost

Panang Meatballs with Pasta Method

Add the flour to the ground beef and mix well. Make 1 inch diameter meatballs with the ground beef.
Cook them in the olive oil till they turn brown. Usually takes about 12-15 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Add the red curry powder and cook for 2 minutes
Add the peanut butter (we didn’t), fish sauce, sugar and coconut milk and bring it to a boil.
Simmer and add the meatballs and cook covered for 5 minutes

You should put the pasta up when you start with the gravy. You do know how to make pasta right? Boil it till its soft!

And there you have it. A transcontinental dish that brings two completely opposite worlds and cultures together: Panang Meatballs with Pasta.