Chilli-chickpea + Sunflower ‘Meatballs’ w. Golden Cashew Curry Sauce

INGREDIENTS

For the chilli-chickpea meatballs…

• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
• 1 medium zucchini, grated, water squeezed out
• 1 cup multigrain breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
  
• ½ tsp fine-grain salt
• ½ tsp hot chilli sauce
• 8-10 rounds of freshly ground black pepper
• ½ brown onion, chopped finely
• 2 garlic cloves, minced/finely chopped
• 1 tsp coconut oil, for sautéing

For the golden cashew curry sauce…

• 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• ½ tsp hot chilli sauce
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tin coconut milk
• 4 Tbsp tomato paste
• 8-10 rounds of freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp fine-grain salt (optional – taste before adding)
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil for frying

Sides: greens of your choice + brown rice or quinoa to serve

METHOD

To make the balls:

1. Using a powerful blender, blitz the sunflower seeds until a grainy texture is achieved. Next add the chick peas and blitz again. Lastly add the zucchini, breadcrumbs, eggs, the fresh herbs + dried spices, hot sauce, salt + pepper to the mix, blitz again.
2. In a heavy-base saucepan, sauté the onion + garlic in the coconut oil until translucent. Remove from heat.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chickpea-spic mix with the garlic + onion, stir to combine. Set in the fridge until you have made the curry sauce.

To make the curry sauce:

1. Drain the cashews, and empty into a high-powdered blender. Blitz until you get a paste. Add the vegetable stock slowly, and continue to blend until silky smooth.
2. Using the heavy-base saucepan from before, sauté the onion in a little coconut oil until translucent. Then add the garlic, ginger + hot sauce for a minute before adding the dry spices – stir to combine, keep on the heat
3. Next empty the tin of coconut milk, the tomato paste and your cashew-stock mix and simmer for 15minutes. Taste a little sauce, and add no more than ½ tsp salt, if needed.
4. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl ready to serve.

To cook the balls:

1. Heat your heavy based saucepan again, adding enough coconut oil to thinly cover the base.
2. Take your chickpea mixture from the fridge and dollop dessert-spoon amounts in the heated oil. YOu should get about 30 balls. Carefully turn when required – the balls will be soft and fiddly, but hang in there – the end result is worth it (even if they look a little rustic/imperfect).

To serve:

Place your greens + grains down first, then top with the chick-pea balls. Right before eating dollop some of the golden curry sauce over your meal.

Recipe Notes

• NOTE! Should you rush the cashew soaking process, your sauce will have more texture. For a silky smooth curry sauce, do soak the cashews overnight.
• If using canned chick peas – 2 cups = 1½ tins
• When herbs are stating to look a bit sad, I blitz them with some grain/rye bread to make green breadcrumbs – which is what I used in this recipe. Added herby goodness 🙂
• Chilli Sauce – not sweet chilli sauce – as that won’t give you the heat. The hot sauce I used is Frank’s Red Hot Original – it had the best ingredient list of all the hot sauces I looked at.
• Should you have a TM – I have written up the instructions here

Recipe trialled, tweaked & devoured in Sally Anderson’s test kitchen; inspiration from theholisticingredient.com