Thai Meatball Curry

Curry is usually a safe dish for my mostly-British employers (because, as we all know, Britain is known for its curry -- thank you, imperialism!).  Meatball curry is a good way to ease the hesitant among us into this delicious Indian dish.  The flavor of this dish isn't overly spicy, and serving it over steamed rice keeps it on the healthy side.  The sauce is warm and delicious and does a great job of sneaking veggies onto the plates of young'uns.  Gotta love that.

Meatballs:
1 lb (500 kg) ground beef
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp garam masala
2 Tbsp tomato ketchup
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp oil
Curry:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp curry paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup coconut mil
1 cup vegetable stock
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 green onion, sliced 1/4" diagonally
2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed to a paste with 2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Makes 4 servings

For meatballs, preheat oven to 375 F.  Combine all ingredients except oil in large bowl and mix well.  Form the mixture into 1-1 1/2 Tbsp-sized balls.  Heat oil in a large skillet; add meatballs and cook over med-hi heat for 7-8 min, turning occasionally to evenly brown on all sides.  Transfer meatballs to foil-lined baking sheet and cook for 10-12 min, or until inside is no longer pink.  Set aside on paper towel-lined plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

For curry, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook onion for 5 min. until soft.  Add curry paste and garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute.  Add coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, sugar and salt, then bring to a boil.  Add carrots and green beans and simmer covered for 12 min.  Add cornstarch mixture; stir continuously until curry thickens.  Gently fold in meatballs and green onion and cook covered for 2 min.  Add lemon juice and stir once; serve over rice.

NOTES:
(a)  You want to almost completely cook the meatballs before adding them to the curry, but make sure they aren't overdone.  They'll continue to cook a bit while tented under the foil, and they'll cook a bit more once you add them to the curry. 
(b)  If you want to serve one pot 'o' curry to both meateaters and vegetarians, leave out the meatballs and add them individually to each plate, spooning some of the curry sauce over them once they're on the plate.