Ingredients Vegan meatballs:
1 (15 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed (250 g)
¼ cup (35 g) sunflower seeds
½ cup (45 g) oats (gluten-free if needed)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic
½ large onion chopped
2 tbsp ground chia seeds or flax seeds
½ tbsp onion pdr
1 tsp garlic pdr
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin pdr
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp red chili pdr
Sea salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying
Gravy:
1 ½ cups (360 ml) vegetable broth or water
⅓ cup (80 ml) plant-based cream or canned coconut milk
2 tbsp (60 g) tomato paste
½ tsp fresh ginger (minced)
3 tsp curry pdr
1 ½ tsp onion pdr
1 tsp garlic pdr
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric pdr
½ tsp nutmeg pdr
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp red chili flakes ( optional)
1 tsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp cornstarch (to thicken)
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish
Instructions Prepare mashed potatoes or make your favorite pasta or rice (whatever you want to serve with your vegan meatballs).
Vegan meatballs: Put all the meatball ingredients (except oil) into a food processor (or blender) and pulse a couple of times. Scrape down the sides and pulse again. Repeat for about one minute or until the mixture sticks together in a thick paste. Roll the mixture with your hands into balls. I used 1 tbsp per ball (the recipe makes about 15 balls). Preheat oven to 390 degrees F (200 degrees C). Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan/skillet and fry the balls for about 6-8 minutes over medium heat. Shake the pan from time to time to fry the balls evenly on all sides. Transfer the balls onto a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.
Gravy: To make the gravy, add the tomato paste to a pan (use the same pan which you used for the meatless balls), pour in the plant-based cream, and stir with a whisk to smooth out the tomato paste. Then slowly add the vegetable broth, while stirring. Bring the sauce to a boil, add all other ingredients (except cornstarch and fresh parsley) and allow it to simmer over medium heat for 10-12 minutes (the longer you simmer the gravy, the more flavorful and thicker it will be). In a small bowl mix cornstarch with a little bit of water into a 'slurry' and then add it to the pan. The gravy will get a little bit thicker. Keep simmering for a further 2-3 minutes. Pour the gravy over the meat-free balls and serve with either mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice! Store leftovers of the gravy and meatballs (separated) in the fridge for 3-4 days.
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