Rice
If you’re cooking your rice, I would be inclined to get it on when I started searing the meatballs. In truth I find I use the microwave pouches of rice really very often on a weeknight - they’re just so convenient and result in perfect rice every time.

Garlic butter
Okay so the garlic butter is optional. But I am just firmly of the opinion that garlic butter makes everything better. Having said that I know people don’t necessarily always want to add butter to everything and it’s also an extra step - so of course you don’t need to add the garlic butter, the dish still works perfectly without it. It’s gorgeous!

Meat
Chicken mince or turkey mince would work equally well. Or you could try a combination of pork and chicken which I think would be very nice

What else can you do with the curry paste?
Supermarkets all carry a good selection of curry pastes now - red is my preference for this but of course you could also use green. As I told you to buy a pot of curry paste and the last thing I want is for it to sit in your fridge looking accusingly at you every time you open the door. So here are some lovely ways you can use it up. It does also freeze very well, so can also freeze it and feel comforted knowing it’s in the freezer for when you next need it. I would scoop it into a ice cube tray, freeze until solid and then pop into a ziplock bag. Much better to freeze things in smaller amounts so you don’t have to defrost the whole lot. The trick with curry paste is that you want to “cook it out”, which basically means add a little oil to a pan and then fry the curry paste for just a few minutes so that it can release it’s gorgeous flavour fully.

• Easy fishcakes - Blitz together some salmon in a food processor with a little curry paste, some chopped spring onions and a little sesame oil. Stir through some chopped green beans. Shape into patties and roll in sesame seeds. Fry until golden and cooked through. Serve with sweet chilli oil for dipping. So simple and so good. Kind of like these ones which are v v good.

• Curried oven roasted potatoes are v v good. Once you’ve peeled chopped and par boiled your potatoes, stir some curry paste and then tip the potatoes into hot oil and roast as normal. This is also very good with little new potatoes which I wouldn’t bother peeling or parboiling before roasting in the hot oil with the curry paste.

• Or make this

Do I need to use eggs in meatballs?
Now here is the annoying answer - sometimes. But I’ve made these particular meatballs and I never add egg - the trick is to really smoosh the mince with your hands so when you roll the meatballs they are tightly bound together. If you are a bit delicate about it - the meatballs will disintegrate in the pan. If you’re in a panic about it, you can add a small egg but I’ve tested these many times and haven’t ever found I need to if you stick to the smooshing method as laid out. Also! Make sure whatever onion you use is finely chopped as big pieces make the meatballs fall apart, make sure the oil is quite hot to seal them plus once you put them in the skillet let them seal before trying to turn them over.

But beyond that