Mum's Tomato Meatballs Braised With Peas | 家常番茄肉丸焖青豆 Recipe
- Daniel
- 19 hours ago
- 3 min read
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This is one of those dishes my mum would cook without ever writing anything down. No measurements, no timers, just instinct. I remember watching her stand by the stove, shaping meatballs by feel and building the sauce from whatever tomatoes she had on hand.
Ready to deep fry...
After deep frying...
Some days she would do it properly, simmering everything together. Other days, when time was tight, she would simply grab a bottle of tomato ketchup, add a little water, and call it done. And honestly, it tasted just as comforting.
The dish reflects the kind of practical home cooking many Southeast Asian Chinese families grew up with. It is not tied to a formal banquet tradition but belongs to the category of 家常菜, which simply means everyday home-style food.
These are meals shaped by migration, pantry limitations, and adaptation. You see Western ingredients like canned tomatoes and ketchup sitting comfortably beside Chinese five spice, ginger, and soy-based seasonings. It is a quiet example of culinary blending that happened naturally over generations.
I still make this today because it reminds me that good food does not need to be complicated. Whether you follow the longer method or take my mum’s shortcut, this is the kind of dish meant to be shared over rice, eaten slowly, and maybe even tweaked to suit your own kitchen. Give it a try and make it yours too.
Ingredients:
(Serve 4)
Sauce:
Tomatoes Canned, 14oz
Fresh Cherry Tomatoes, 350g
High Quality Olive Oil, 2 TBSP
Yellow Onion Finely Sliced, 1
Sea Salt, Pinch
Black Pepper, Pinch
Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves
Ginger Finely Minced, 2"
Red Bell Pepper Finely Diced, 1
Dijon Mustard, 1/2 TSP
Chinese 5 Spice Homemade, 1 TSP
Cayenne, Pinch
Smoked Paprika, Pinch
Brown Sugar, 2 TBSP
Vinegar, 2 TBSP (Optional)
Meatballs:
Mum's Verstaile Minced Filling Homemade, 375g
Rapeseed / Sunflower / Canola / Peanut Oil, For Frying
Dish:
Red Onion Finely Wedged, 1
Green Peas Frozen, 150g
Equipment:
Cast Iron Skillet
Blender / Hand Blender
Dutch Oven / Wok
Sauce Pot
Directions:
Please visit my "How To Make Chinese 5 Spice" page for the recipe.
Please visit my "Mum's Versatile Minced Filling" page for the recipe.
Prepare the tomato base
Blend the canned tomatoes and fresh cherry tomatoes until smooth.
Strain the mixture to remove skins and seeds, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.
Discard the residue.
Build the sauce
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the sliced onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened and translucent.
Add garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant.
Add the bell pepper and cook until slightly softened but still holding some texture.
Stir in mustard, five spice, cayenne, and smoked paprika. Cook briefly until aromatic.
Deglaze the pan with a splash of water, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom.
Add in the tomato juice and stir to combine well.
Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar as needed.
Let it simmer briefly, then blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
Shape and fry the meatballs
Roll the minced filling into small, even balls, 25g each.
You should get 15 meatballs.
Heat oil in a wok or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Test the oil with a wooden chopstick. If bubbles form steadily, it is ready.
Fry the meatballs until golden on all sides. Remove and drain.
Prepare the vegetables
Blanch the frozen peas in salted simmering water just until thawed. Drain and set aside.
Finish the dish
Reheat the sauce in a pan and add the wedged onion.
Cook until the onion softens and loses its raw bite.
Add the fried meatballs and peas. Toss gently to coat.
Cook until the sauce thickens and clings to everything, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Serve
Serve hot over rice.
Perfect over some rice...
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