30-Minute Vegetarian Meatballs

By lorik

30 Minute Vegetarian Meatballs – cauliflower, quinoa, brown rice, garlic, and spices. SUPER versatile – recipe makes a huge batch so you can stockpile them in your freezer for easy meals later!

Ingredients

• Masala Sauce:
• INGREDIENTS
• 3 cups cauliflower florets (roughly 1 head of cauliflower)
• 3 cups cooked quinoa and/or brown rice (see notes)
• 3/4 cups of a “dry ingredient” like oat flour, almond meal, breadcrumbs, etc.
• 4 eggs
• 1 heaping tablespoon spices (chili powder, paprika, and/or cumin will work)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a frying pan with a thin coating
• Yield: 3-or-so cups masala sauce + 1 1/2 cups remaining masala paste for future use!
• DESCRIPTION
• 30 Minute Masala Sauce! made with onions, garlic, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, lemon juice, cilantro, tomatoes, and coconut milk. Perfect sauce for veggie or chicken tikka masala! Vegetarian / Vegan
• INGREDIENTS
• for the masala paste:
• 2 onions (I used one yellow, one purple)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, crushed
• 3 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• a small pile of cilantro stems
• a fistful of almonds
• juice of one lemon
• for the masala sauce:
• 1 1/2 cups tomato puree + 1/2 cup water or broth
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (taste and adjust)

Details

Adapted from pinchofyum.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cauliflower: Cook the cauliflower florets in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes, till fork-tender. Drain well.

Mix: Pulse the quinoa and cauliflower through a food processor until semi-smooth (see pictures for texture). Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and combine with all other ingredients. Stir until everything is incorporated. Roll into small balls (about one heaping tablespoon per ball was best for me).

Cook: Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat – add the balls and cook for a few minutes on each side – they will need to be gently turned every so often to get browned all the way around. Serve with yummy sauces, salads, bowls, or freeze for later!

NOTES
I used Seeds of Change pre-cooked garlic brown rice and quinoa for this recipe (2 packets = about 3 cups). Since this has garlic flavor already in the mix, if you are using your own pre-cooked quinoa and/or brown rice, make sure to add some minced garlic or garlic powder.

If the mixture doesn’t stick together in a ball when gently pressed, add about 1/3 of the mixture back into the food processor and pulse until it’s more the consistency of hummus. That should help it hold together. If that still isn’t enough, just add a little more of your “dry ingredient” till you get a consistency that you can gently roll between your hands to form ball shapes.

Nutrition facts are for 1/12th of this recipe, so just take your total # of meatballs and divide them into 12 servings – the exact number of meatballs per serving depends on how big you make the meatballs.

Serves 12
Calories Per Serving: 128
% DAILY VALUE
9% Total Fat 6.1g 21% Cholesterol 62mg 18% Sodium 441.6mg 4% Total Carbohydrate 13.1g Sugars 1.3g 12% Protein 6.2g 2% Vitamin A 36.6µg 21% Vitamin C 12.9mg

Masala Sauce:
Masala Paste: Pulse all the ingredients for the Masala Paste in a food processor until smooth.
Masala Sauce: Heat a drizzle of oil in a skillet. Add 1/4 cup masala paste to the skillet (not all of it! reserve the rest for future use – yay you!) and with a little bit of oil and stir around in the pan until fragrant (3-5 minutes). If you’re making this with chicken or another protein, this is a good time to add your protein to the pan. Add the tomato puree and water and simmer until t’s a rusty-deep-red color – about 5-10 minutes. Add the coconut milk; simmer for 10 minutes or so until thick and creamy. Longer simmer = thicker and better flavor.

NOTES:
Store the paste in a jar in the fridge for about a week or store in the freezer for, well, for probably forever.

This sauce is great for making homemade chicken tikka masala, but it also goes with just about anything ever – kind of like a curry. We made this with butternut squash, chicken, and the meatless-meatballs that are pictured. Served over rice… mmmhmmmm. SO GOOD.

Serves 4
Calories Per Serving: 350
% DAILY VALUE
36% Total Fat 23.3g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 65% Sodium 1559mg 9% Total Carbohydrate 27.4g Sugars 10.3g 16% Protein 8g 5% Vitamin A 78.5µg 39% Vitamin C 23.3mg