Welcome to the first post this New Year. I'm not much into making resolutions, but I make plans/goals (well a somber resolution I guess ;-) ). Just few small plans of what I should achieve or what my family should achieve in the new year and generally try to achieve atleast those goals. I love a fresh start to anything and like to consider the New Year as a perfect way to make yourself believe in starting afresh to several things that you slept over in the previous year.
Well, last year I had shared a quick and simple recipe for baked Turkey meatballs. I find them so easy to make and so versatile that it can be transformed into an appetizer or entree as required. I have used them in soups, spicy masala gravy dishes and also transformed them into a bunch of appetizer dishes.
One of our favorite was this Berry BBQ sauce that I made to coat the meatballs with. It was fruity, spicy, sweet yet tart, in all it was a fusion of all kinds of flavors. I actually made the Berry BBQ sauce using some leftover homemade Mixed Berry compote....yes, fruit compote which I used for some cupcakes :-)
I love fusion flavors like Mango chicken, Orange chicken etc...so that's how this idea came to my mind to convert the mixed berry compote into a bbq sauce.
I made this once to take to a friends place for a casual get-together and she came back asking for the recipe and wanted me to quickly share it on the blog. I wasn't sure if I would get it on the blog so fast, so I gave her the recipe and she promptly tried it and gave a full thumbs up on the recipe.
I again took these for a Thanksgiving potluck and there too everyone raved about the taste and wanted to know how it was made :)
The inspiration for the BBQ berry sauce is Asha's recipe and I spiced it up a bit based on our tastes and availability of ingredients and added some herbs for bit more flavor. It's a very adaptable recipe and I can't wait to try out more varities with it.
Baked Turkey Meatballs
in Berry BBQ Sauce
Makes: 35-40 meatballs
You’ll Need
For
Turkey Meatballs
1 Lb Ground Turkey
¼ cup Breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated/powdered
Parmesan cheese
½ cup chopped Red Onions
1 clove minced Garlic
1 large Egg
½ cup chopped Cilantro
leaves
1 Tblsp Mint leaves
2 tsp crushed Black Pepper
¼ tsp Salt
For Berry BBQ Sauce
1 cup Mixed Berry Compote
(Grinded to a puree) **
1 Tblsp Canola/Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
1 Red Onion finely diced
2 Tblsp Minced Ginger
2-3 tsp Garam Masala
4 Green chillies thinly
sliced / 2 tsp Red Chilli powder
4 Tblsp Lime juice/Lemon
juice
4 Tblsp White Vinegar
2 Tblsp Molasses / Jaggery
2 Tblsp Worcestershire Sauce/Soy
Sauce
Corriander Leaves / Mint Leaves
as needed for Garnish
Directions
For Baked Turkey Meatballs
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
2. Combine all the
ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with hands until properly incorporated.
3. Use a melon baller to
scoop out equal sized balls and place them on a baking sheet covered with wax/parchment
paper. This makes about 35-40 mini meatballs. Use an icecream scoop or
Tablespoon for bigger meatballs.
4. Bake in oven for 13-15
mins. (Do not over-bake). Let the meatballs cool on a wire rack.
For Berry BBQ Sauce
1. Heat
Oil in a saucepan. Add the fennel, seeds cumin seeds, red onion, green chillies and saute well.
2. Add all the other
ingredients and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or until it is almost reduced
to half it’s original quantity.
Finally, combine around 15-20 of the baked
turkey meatballs into the Berry Bqq sauce and simmer for 5 mins on low heat. Turn
off the heat. Garnish with chopped coriander or Mint leaves.
Note: You may have to double the recipe for the bbq sauce for coating the whole batch of baked meatballs.
** Mixed Berry Compote:
Add 1 cup frozen mixed berries, 3-4 Tblsp Sugar and 1 TBlsp Lemon Juice in a pan and cook until the sugar melts and the compote thickens. Use 2-3 tsp cornstarch to thicken the compote if needed. Let it cool completely and use as needed.
