Sunday 11 October 2015

Mummy's Fried Meatballs


These meatballs were something to look forwards to during Chinese New Year back in the good old days. The good old days when my mum and my late grandma did the cooking for our family reunion dinner. The good old days when my late grandpa would be busy topping up the stock of soft drinks in the store room. The good old days when my siblings, cousins and I looked forwards to collecting ang pows.



Mum's meatballs contained a ton of onions (our favorite), garlic (?? just guessing), shredded carrots and potatoes, salt and loads of pepper. There was one dinner when my uncle bit into a meatball and promptly spat it out. Why? Because he does not like onions. Yes, my beloved uncle, Mr Four-dishes-should-be-enough. I think mum freaked out a bit. I did not witness this incident but mum related it to me with horror hah..hah..her poor meatball.


Last weekend I was looking for something tasty but delish for dinner and I thought of mum's meatballs. It's simple. Just mix meatballs, minced onions, shredded carrots, potatoes, green peas, an egg, cornflour, salt and pepper. No measurements, just "agak-agak" like what mum does. Rest the mixture in the fridge for half an hour and then form them into balls and deep fry or pan fry until brown.


I love the meatballs with sweet chili sauce. Noms! If you don't like vegetables in your meatballs, just leave them out. But I reckon you won't even notice the vegetables because the meatballs are so good. But I don't know about the onions >.<

Here's the recipe below, with no measurements, apologies. But I am sure you can figure out the amounts. You can't go wrong with meatballs.









Mummy's Fried Meatballs
Recipe source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :
- Minced meat
- Big onion, minced
- Shredded carrots
- Shredded potato
- Green peas
- egg
- corn flour
- salt
- pepper

Method :
1. Mix all the ingredients and using your hand or spoon, mix it all up until it forms a sticky mixture.
2. Rest the mixture in the fridge for 1/2 hour
3. Heat enough oil for deep frying or pan frying.
4. Form minced meat into balls or patties and fry until brown and cooked.

34 comments:

  1. i gotta tell you this, I LOVE MEATBALLS!!! errr, any kind of meatballs i supposed, especially those that are not too finely minced.. for example, this type of homemade meatballs with onions (yes, i like onions but not spring onions), carrots, water chestnuts and whatnots in it, pan fried or deep fried until slightly browned and crispy outside but then tender and juicy inside.. slurps!!! and oh, even if it's just blanched or cooked in soup, i also love them~~ :)

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    1. Me too! Meatballs are very appealing, easy to make and good to eat :)

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  2. look at yours!!! aiyoyo, i love that leh.. you have got in the meatball something not common to me - the potatoes!! i love the color, golden brown and especially when you served them with some cherry tomatoes and alfafa something (hahaha, dunno what that is called).. you make me wanna make meatballs in the office for lunch already, haha.. maybe steam some using my steamer would be nice too huh?? :)

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    1. It's alfalfa sprouts hah..hah... I love them in salads. If you can make meatballs in the office, then I salute you!

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  3. I love these kind of meatballs with lots of vegetables in them. Yums! Simply delicious!

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  4. I loves it, can eat many of it, hehe...

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    1. Sharon, just eat, don't count hee..hee...

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  5. Ooooo...they look so good. So much inside, like a crustless pie. We do not have good pies here though, none of those brands like Watties. I think ours are old from China, hard like stones and will never turn soft no matter how long we boil them.

    Incidentally, why put in the fridge for half an hour? I would only do that for marinating, things I would not cook right away...so they will not spoil in our tropical heat.

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    1. Yes, I used Watties, It's the best so far. In fact I even like eating them just like that once defrosted hah..hah...

      I put in the fridge to firm the meat up so that it is easier to shape.

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  6. Hi Phong Hong,
    Delicious meatballs! My big kids love deep-fried meatballs too. Green peas is only item they would dig them out ...

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    1. Karen, then you have to leave out the peas, I happen to love peas :)

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  7. Oooo, mummy's fried meatballs.. Reminds me of my mum's trademark pork balls too.. But she likes to call it mini pork chops.. Ingredients very simple, but similar with yours.. Mix soy sauce and pepper into minced pork, that's it.. Roll into balls, fry.. Put aside.. Then fry onions and potato cubes, tomatoes, add oyster sauce and lots of pepper and water, add back the fried balls, and simmer for like 5-6 minutes, add corn starch, done.. Sometimes she adds green peas.. But yours look more delicious la, I wana try yours, got shredded potatoes inside wor.. Sounds hoiwai already..

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    1. Louiz, your mum's one is something like sweet and sour pork. Fried meatballs with chap. That sounds good. One day I try it.

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  8. I have always loved meatballs up till now! Oh yes, with plenty of onions. It is a favourite dish with my big boys and the old couple too!

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    1. Nancy, great that we agree on the onions hee..hee...

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  9. Oh, I love meatballs! Technically, yours don't look like meat balls but more like meat patties....kekekeke....but nevertheless just as delicious, I'm sure. I think I know why your uncle spat out the onions coz it's difficult to really cook the onions when they're stuffed in a meatball, so they retain the raw onion taste which not everyone will like. That's why I usually sauté the onions first to soften and get a bit of caramelisation before stuffing them into the mix.

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    1. hee..hee...mine are not round at all, more like mini burgers :D Your method will produce a very flavorful and tasty meatball. The caramelized onions are the secret ingredient. I tried that once with bergedil. It was really good! But making brown onions take quite a bit of time.

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  10. We usually have whole meaty meat balls, my kids will dig out all the vegetable for sure if I were to mix vegetable into the meat balls...next my better half will be shouting too..I will have to enjoy the vegetable meat balls all by myself..:D

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    Replies
    1. Well, Agnes, you will have to make an all meat meatball hah..hah...

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  11. yummy.... love the meatballs and reminded me of Ikea's meatballs! Mommy's cooking always the best!

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  12. I think it will taste nice with crispy flat fish too.

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  13. Hi Phong Hong, seems that every mum has their own meatball recipe. My mum has several too with 'agak-agak' measurement for the ingredients used and they never failed. Great cooks.

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    1. Kimmy, that's how real cooking works, right? No need to weigh and measure! And still it turns out so good :)

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  14. I am one of those who do not like veggies in my meatballs. In fact I do not like anything else in the meatballs. A meatball should be just meat and seasoning. :D

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    1. I guess that's the way it should be - purely meat. But I guess my mum wanted to sneak in the vegetables to make it more wholesome. We love our veggies anyway, so it was cool.

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  15. home cooked always the best Phong Hong. Yes, I always cook with 'agak-agak' style hahahaha.....

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    1. Fiona, that's the way to cook! No need to measure anything hah...hah...

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  16. Mmmmmm.... these meatballs look so scrumptious!

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  17. The golden brownish colour of your meatballs are fantabulous!!! **new vocabs**
    I was drooling and my mind played with all the different gravy and sauces to dip them.
    All mothers learnt from our grandmothers who had no measuring cups in the olden days.
    No wonder my mum's cakes and cooking tasted according to her mood.

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    Replies
    1. If we had to measure and weigh, cooking would be so tedious! Grandma and mum's cooking is always what we enjoy the most.

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