CURRIED MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Meatballs:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Purée scallions, jalapeños, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and cayenne in a blender until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add beef, egg, yogurt, and salt. Mix with your hands until mixture is homogenous and starts to become very sticky like sausage meat, about 1 minute. Using a 2-oz. ice cream scoop to portion if you like, roll beef mixture into golf ball-size portions and place on baking sheet, spacing 1" apart (you should have about 24). Drizzle meatballs with more oil and bake until browned on top and cooked through, 20-25 minutes.
• Curry Sauce:
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Add onions, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent and starting to brown, 8-10 minutes. Stir in chiles, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and peppercorns. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is very fragrant and spices begin to stick to the pot, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, stirring and scraping bottom of pot, and bring to a boil. Add bay leaf, 1 Tbsp. salt, and 2 cups water; return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors have melded, 25-30 minutes.
• Let curry sauce cool slightly, then transfer to a blender; blend until very smooth. Wipe out any bits remaining in pot and transfer curry sauce back to pot. Stir in lemon juice and cayenne; taste sauce and season with more salt if needed.
• Gently nestle cooked meatballs into sauce, bring to a simmer, and cook until meatballs are heated all the way through, 10-15 minutes. Serve topped with cilantro.
• Do Ahead
• Meatballs and sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; transfer to an airtight container and chill. Gently reheat meatballs in sauce, covered, thinning with water if sauce is too thick.