Update May 2018: I released this recipe back in May 2016 and finally took the time to rework it! The masala sauce and the vegetarian “meatballs” have been improved. Some of you had trouble with this recipe as the balls were crumbling. This won’t be a problem anymore! Photos have also been updated. This is one of my favorite recipes!
Reading: vegetarian dish meatball indian
Do you enjoy Indian food as much as I do? I could literally eat Indian every day. The flavors, richness, and variety of Indian dishes are just incredible.
While this is not a traditional Indian recipe, it reminds me a lot of the food you can find at Indian restaurants. And trust me, this is definitely not lacking in flavor. These soft veggie balls are served in a rich and creamy masala sauce. In all honesty, this sauce is just incredible. Super creamy and flavorful, it makes everything you put in it 10 times better. Plus this sauce is very versatile, you can use it to coat roasted vegetables or use as a dipping sauce for fries. I’m sure it would go pretty well with falafels too.
In my opinion, this is the perfect vegan dish to serve when you have vegans AND meat eaters at the table. Everyone loves these veggie balls!
The masala sauce is easy to make and relies on onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and spices. It takes some time to prepare though since you have to cook it for 30-40 minutes. This is not active time, don’t worry!
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The sauce gets its magical smell and taste from the spices: cumin, garam masala, turmeric, and fenugreek leaves. Fenugreek leaves are optional but recommended. I only discovered fenugreek recently and I love this spice, it has a nutty and maple flavor. You can find dried fenugreek leaves here.
Once the sauce is cooked, transfer to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Now onto the veggie balls. The base is red kidney beans, brown rice, onions, carrots, nutritional yeast, and spices. I also added fresh chopped chives, feel free to add your favorite herbs. The combination of red kidney beans with brown rice gives them a soft texture, and the addition of mushrooms brings moisture and a meaty texture.
To prevent the balls from falling apart, I also added some oats (oat flour + rolled oats for more texture). Once your mixture is roughly mashed, you form balls and bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes.
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Finally, transfer the balls to the masala sauce and stir to coat!
If you are looking for a flavorful and healthy meal with an Indian twist, you should definitely consider trying this one! These veggie balls are tender and come with a masala sauce that really is the star of the recipe!
Love Indian food? Check out this Easy Dal Palak, Instant Pot Cauliflower Tikka Masala, or these Chickpea Crepes with Creamy Lentil Dal!
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
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