Who doesn’t love balls? Like in seriously – meatballs, Oh My Sparkle Balls, doughnut balls, rugby and soccer balls. And now, Cheesy Couscous and Curry Balls. It has everything people love in a ball – crunch, saltiness, cheesiness, sweetness, stickiness and with a yummy meaty mild curry centre. Oh yeah!

 

But don’t take this sparkle blogs word for it – try it and sparkle your belly.

 

Enjoy by {and for} yourself.

 

INGREDIENTS

 

 

 

 

 

Rice Patty Mix:

• 4 Cups of Water

• 1 Cup of Parboiled Rice

• ¼ Cup of Unsalted Butter

• 1 Tsp of Salt

• ½ Tsp of Pepper

• 2 Eggs

• 1 Cup of Mozzarella, Grated

 

 

Curry Meat Filling:

• 2 Tbsps. of Oil

• 1/4 Cup of Mozzarella

• 1 Large Onion, Chopped

• 2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

• 500 g Lean Mince

• 1 ½ Tsp of Ground Ginger

• 2 Tbsps. of Muscovado/Brown Sugar

• 1 Tsp of Mild Curry Powder

• 1 ½ Tsp of Turmeric

• 1 Tsp of Salt

• Pepper, to Taste

• 1-2 Tbsps. of Unsalted Butter

• 2 Tbsps. of Chutney

• 2 Tsps. of Apricot Jam

• 2 Tsps. of Vinegar

• 2 Tsps. of Worcestershire Sauce

• 2 Tsps. of Tomato Paste

• 1 Large Potato or 5-6 Baby Potatoes, Diced

 

 

 

Coating and Presentation Details:

• 1 ½ Cups of Couscous, Uncooked

• 2 Eggs, Mixed

• Basil, Chives, Chilli (Optional)

• Light Chutney Sauce

• Sweet Chilli Sauce Mixed with Cream Cheese and/or Mayonnaise

 

 

 

 

HOW TO MAKE THE DELICIOUS BALLS:

 

 

 

A) Rice Patty Mix:

 

#1 Add the rice, butter, salt and pepper with the water in a medium saucepan on a high heat and bring to a boil.

 

 

 

#2 Once boiled, simmer for 40 minutes with a lid partially on. Checking now and then that there is still enough water.

 

 

 

#3 In the meanwhile, mix a cup of mozzarella cheese with two eggs and set aside.

 

 

 

#4 Once the rice is soft and sticky, remove from the pot and place into a bowl. Stir the mix to bring down the temperature.

 

 

 

#5 Once the temperature of the rice isn’t boiling hot anymore, add the mozzarella cheese and egg mix – mix well.

TIP: If the mix is to “watery” you can add more cheese.

 

 

 

B) Curry Meat Filling:

 

#1 Heat the spices on a medium heat.

 

 

 

#2 Add the butter, and onion and fry until soft. Once soft, add the crushed garlic and sauté for a further minute or so.

 

 

 

#3 Now add the mince, muscovado sugar, chutney, vinegar, apricot jam, salt, tomato paste, Worcestershire Sauce, oil and mix.

 

 

#4 Once the mince has browned a bit, add the diced potato and simmer for at least 30 minutes on a low heat.

 

 

 

#5 Once the meat is caramelised and has simmered sufficiently, remove from the heat and stir in the mozzarella cheese.

 

#6 Set aside for when rice patties are done.

 

 

C) Making The Couscous Balls:

 

 

 

#1 Pour the couscous into a bowl, and in a separate bowl add two eggs and whisk briefly.

 

#2 Pour your oil in a pot or into your deep fryer and heat to about 190 degrees Celsius.

 

#3 Now, take the rice patty and scoop some in your hand. Then scoop a generous amount of the curry mince into the rice mix.

 

 

 

#4 Now “close” with the rice mix.

 

 

#5 Take some of the egg-mix and coat the mix, while the ball is still in your hand.

 

 

 

#6 Then pop the ball into the couscous mix and make sure it is adequately covered, all sides.

 

 

 

#7 Roll this neatly into a ball and place in the oil.

 

 

 

#8 Fry the ball until golden before removing (between 2 – 4 min). And repeat…

 

 

 

#9 Place the balls on paper towels (to drain any excess oil).

 

 

 

#10 Shred basil/chives, and slice chilli (optional). The balls are best served with a light chutney and or a sweet chilli-cream-cheese/mayonnaise sauce.  But your imagination is the limit.

 

 

Take photos!

 

 

 

And Sparkle Your Belly…

 

Download the recipe here: Cheesy Couscous and Curry Balls Recipe

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A Little About Sparkle Belly Corner

Experimenting makes food fun – so it is important to make recipes your own. Food is something that should build your confidence, a place where you can express yourself without judgement or criticism, a place where you can taste the world. It is the Sparkle Belly Corner dream for South Africans to spread love and sparkle to themselves first and, then to the rest of the country and world.  May your food journey do that – spread love and sparkle through your heart and beyond.

Please feel free to share, or get in touch on Social Media – it means a tremendous amount to a fellow South African wannabe foodie.

 

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