Steamed Meatballs with Broccoli

Meatballs are a favourite in my house, especially with the kids. This simple homemade meatballs will bring smiles to your kids faces when it is dinnertime, as they did mine! I already have a request to make this again in the very near future, tomorrow!!  I promised my kids to make this again soon, but definitely not tomorrow!  :)

The broccoli can be replaced by any other veggie, or a mixture of other veggies like mushrooms, cauliflower, carrots and even Chinese broccoli (kai lan). Broccoli happens to be our favourite, so that's what I use.

The meatballs are a simple combination of minced pork, chopped mushroom, chopped spring onions and  seasoned with white pepper powder and some salt with a little bit of corn flour and water. Some chopped water chestnut may be added and if you have some prawns or white fish meat, these may be minced and added in too, which would be really delicious. But for today, I only use minced pork as that was what I had.

The broccoli and meatballs are steamed separately, retain the juices collected from both during steaming and mix them together later for the gravy. This is one simple, delicious meal that your kids would definitely love!

I'm sharing this with
Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage
See Ya In The Gumbo #18 Potluck hosted by Ms. enPlace

My baking buddy, Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids will be starting a blog hop in March, "Cook Like A Star" featuring Donna Hay as the celebrity chef  for the month of March. Please do join in, everyone's welcome. Please drop by Bake For Happy Kids for the full details. Hope to see you in "Cook Like A Star"!

Steamed Meatballs with Broccoli
(by kitchen flavours)
400gm minced pork
1 medium broccoli
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 tablespoons water
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
1 dry shitake mushroom, soaked till soften and chopped finely
2 tablespoons chopped spring onions
salt to taste
1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoon water, for the gravy

1. Put minced pork in a bowl, add in cornflour, white pepper powder, water and salt. Stir well and keep aside for 15 minutes.
2. Cut broccoli florets to medium large chunks. Steam on high heat for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and retain whatever steaming liquid collected from the broccoli, which is not much, but full of nutrients!
3. Stir marinated pork and add in chopped mushroom and chopped spring onions, stir well to evenly combine. 
4. Heat up steamer. Steam a teaspoon of meatball paste for about 5 minutes to check on the seasoning, add salt if necessary.
5. Once the seasoning are to your liking, take about 1 tablespoon of meat paste and mould it round, placing it on a steaming plate. Repeat with the rest of the meat paste.
6. Steam on high heat for about 15 minutes until cooked. Remove from heat and place meatballs on serving plate, retaining the steaming liquid collected from the meatballs. Arrange broccoli florets around meatballs on serving plate. Keep aside.
7. Mix the retain liquids in a small saucepan. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of cornflour with 2 tablespoon water.  Heat saucepan and when liquid starts to boil, add in  about 2 teaspoon of the cornflour solution (stir the solution before adding in) until gravy is slightly thickened, adding more if you prefer a thicker gravy, add salt to taste if necessary, let it come to a boil and immediately pour over meatballs. Serve hot.