Minced Beef Bola Curry

not my mum's curry, image from here

This is perhaps my favourite mince meat dish, and my favourite curry dish, I make my mum cook it for me every time I come home and it never fails to impress. Which is why I have left it till last. This is my mum's recipe and as with most Sri Lankan dishes measuring is not really something they do. Its more "a bit of this" and "a splash of that" so all quantites are approximates, use less or more according to your tastes.

Meat Balls
500g lean beef mince
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbs sweet spiced vinegar
1 tbs Sri Lankan roast curry powder (or you favourite curry powder)
1tsp ground turmeric
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground corriander
1/2 brown onion finely chopped
salt to taste

Gravy
1 cup milk
salt and vinegar to taste
1 tbs Sri Lankan roast curry powder (or you favourite curry powder)
1tsp ground turmeric
1tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp sugar
2-3 stalks curry leaves picked from branch
2 cinnamon sticks

Mix all the ingredients for the meat balls. Roll mince mixture firmly to form bite size balls. Heat some oil in a fry pan and brown meatballs on all sides in batches. Drain meatballs on paper towel.
For the gravy combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook on low heat until the gravy starts to bubble. Add the meat balls and simmer until gravy thickens and meat balls are cooked through (about 25min). Serve on steamed rice. This also goes well with pumpkin curr.