The Easy Way To Make Your Toddler’s First Curry
Sure, curries can seem like an obvious move for the young palate: they’re rich, often sweet, very comforting. But the child lizard brain is a peculiar one, particularly when it comes to food: what can seem like a sure thing–with ingredients known and liked by your toddler–can easily become a battlefield for kids (and you) if ingredients are combined and/or presented in new or strange ways.
So, if your child hasn’t yet been receptive to stews or curries, or if you’re just not sure where to begin, try this one. It’s got the trappings of soup and/or a protein-over-carb dish, thanks to the small meatballs and soft rice, with the brightness and sweetness of a Thai curry, which is the inspiration for the base. The meatballs themselves are no slouch, either: inspired by the Korean beef patty dish tteok-galbi, they have a deep savoriness and sweetness that makes even ground chicken sing. Big flavor that comes together quickly and easily? Even a toddler can get with that. (Maybe.)
- 1 lb Ground Chicken (see Adapt below for alternatives)
- 2 Scallions (can also use dried chives)
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce (recommend low-sodium soy)
- 1 tbsp Mirin (or rice vinegar)
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- Ginger Powder
- dried Cilantro
- 1 teaspoon honey (optional…but it does make it extra tasty)
- 1 can Coconut Milk
- 1.5 cups Chicken Broth (low-sodium recommended)
- 1/2 tbsp Fish Sauce (can also use worcestershire sauce in a pinch)
- 1 Lime
- If using fresh green onions/scallions, dice them into small pieces.
- Toss your ground chicken (or whatever meat you’re using) into a large bowl, then add the chopped scallions, soy sauce, Mirin/rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey (if using), and some generous shakes of the dried cilantro and ginger; using your hands.
- Grab clumps of the meat mixture–small ones for your little one, larger for yourself–and round into ball shape; place meatballs into a container, cover, and let chill for at least an hour.
- Heat a dutch oven or large pot to Medium High. Coat the bottom of the pot with sesame oil (or whatever oil you got that has a high smoke point).
- Place the meatballs all around the pot, spacing them out from one another so that they don’t touch. Cook until browned on the bottom, roughly two minutes; then turn them over to another side and brown that side, another two minutes. Remove from pot–they will not be fully cooked–and set aside.
- Scrape or wipe out any burnt or unwanted detritus from the pot, then pour in coconut milk, broth, and fish sauce; to make curry sweeter, you can also add in a bit of honey or sugar. Bring mix to a boil, then reduce heat until it liquid in pot gently simmers. Allow curry to cook for five minutes.
- Add meatballs–and any juice/runoff from the plate–back to the pot and cook until the meatballs are fully cooked, 1-2 minutes.
- Juice lime into the pot and stir before serving.
Assuming your child already likes/is comfortable with meatballs and rice, we recommend serving this in a small bowl with the rice and meatballs clearly demarcated so that the components are clearly visible. If your child really likes soup, pour in enough curry; if your child is ambivalent about it and/or is partial to certain kinds of soup (i.e., chicken noodle) whose broth doesn’t look like this one, pour in just enough to coat but not cover the rice, then drizzle some atop the meatballs before serving.
If you and/or your child favor a meatier ball, use ground beef, especially short rib or chuck–just make sure the fat ratio is no less than 85/15; you’ll need to add an extra minute to the initial cooking, too. To make the meatballs more Thai inspired, stick with chicken–or pork–and sub in fish sauce for the soy; cut out the sesame oil and mirin. Pro tip for your bowl: add some spinach, kale, or other green leaf to the pot once you stop cooking–an easy serving of vegetables in your bowl with no effort!
If you have fresh ginger and garlic–and/or an onion, too–you can and should use them! But use a grater to mince them down into small pieces.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
