Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs

For the meatballs

• ▢ Cooking spray
• ▢ 1 slice white bread roughly torn
• ▢ 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• ▢ 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
• ▢ 1/4 cup unsweetened cinnamon applesauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon store-bought or homemade tomato paste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce

• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 cup (4 oz) diced yellow onion
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons water
• ▢ 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garam masala
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• ▢ 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
• ▢ 2 cups heavy cream*
• ▢ Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
• ▢ Minced fresh cilantro for garnish
• ▢ Cooked basmati rice or naan for serving

Make the meatballs

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Coat a 13-by 9-inch (33-by 23-cm) baking pan with cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, combine the bread and cream. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then mash it with a fork.
• In a medium bowl, combine the bread mixture, ground chicken (or turkey), applesauce, tomato paste, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, mix just until combined. Scoop out 1 1/2-tablespoon portions of the mixture and roll into balls, then arrange them in a single layer in the baking dish.

  ☞TESTER TIP: If you’d like to check your meatballs for seasoning before baking, simply pinch off a bit of the mixture and fry until cooked through before sampling.

• Bake the meatballs until they are cooked through and have an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), 20 to 25 minutes. While the meatballs bake, make the sauce.

Make the sauce

• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring until caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the water, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, garam masala, turmeric, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and salt, and cook for 5 minutes.
• If a smooth sauce is desired, dump the sauce into a blender and blend until puréed then return it to the saucepan. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. Whisk in the cream then simmer the sauce until it has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper.
• Add the meatballs to the sauce, stirring gently to combine.
• Garnish the meatballs with cilantro, then serve with basmati rice or naan. There will be plenty of extra sauce for drizzling over rice or dunking naan.

*Can I substitute anything for the heavy cream in tikka masala?