1tablespoonground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons of water, see notes
1cupcilantro, leaves and chopped soft stems only
1teaspoonground coriander seeds
1teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonblack pepper
bit of olive oil for forming the meatballs
For the curry sauce -
2tablespoonsolive oil
1onion, chopped
500 gr/ 1.1 pounds pumpkin, peeled and cut into cubes
1large carrot, sliced into rings
2celery branches, chopped
2tablespoonsfinely grated ginger root
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1tablespooncurry powder
½teaspoonground nutmeg
1teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonblack pepper
½1cupwater
½cupcoconut milk, see notes
handful of chopped cilantro for serving
Instructions:
Peel the potato, cut into cubes and cook until soft. You can either cook it in boiling water, in the oven or in the microwave. After that, drain any excess water, if any, and allow to cool slightly. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the potato coarsely. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Prepare an oven tray lined with baking paper or silicone roasting mat.
Place the ground flaxseed in a small bowl. Add 2.5-3 tablespoons of water and mix. Set the mixture aside for 10 minutes before using.
In a food processor, place cooked white beans, ground almonds, onion, coarsely chopped coriander and the spices - ground coriander seeds, salt and pepper. Add in the flaxseed mixture and process until a smooth texture is obtained. If necessary, occasionally stop the food processor and scrape the mixture from the sides.
Transfer the bean mixture to a mixing bow. Add the mashed potatoes and mix well.
Use your very clean hands, preferably greased with some olive oil, and form from the mixture about 20 meatballs, each 4-cm/1-inch diameter. Place the vegan meatballs on the sheet pan and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the meatballs are slightly golden. Allow the meatballs to cool completely before removing them from the pan, otherwise they could fall apart.
While the meatballs are in the oven - prepare the curry sauce. In a deep sauté pan heat olive oil. Add chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, stir occasionally. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, except for the liquids - pumpkin cubes, carrot rings, chopped celery, finely grated ginger, chopped garlic cloves, curry powder, nutmeg powder, salt and black pepper. Sautee for another 5 minutes while stirring.
Add the liquids - water and coconut milk, mix and cover the pan with a lid. Bring to a boil and then cook with the lid closed on a medium heat until the pumpkin softens, about 20-25 minutes.
After the curry sauce is cooked completely, mash it coarsy using a potato masher or a fork, to obtain a thicker texture. Notice there is no need to reach a smooth texture.
Add the vegan meatballs to the sauce just before serving time. If cooking ahead - keep the sauce and the meatballs separately and combine it when wanted. Add the meatballs to the hot curry, cover and cook on a low heat for 5-7 minutes. Avoid mixing and moving the meatballs too much in the pan.
Serve with lots of chopped cilantro on top. You can add chopped chili pepper if you like. Serve with rice or quinoa. Enjoy!
Notes:
You can use either cooked white beans out of can/jar or frozen (I use frozen(. When using frozen bean, please allow 10-15 for defrosting outside the freezer before using it.
You can either buy whole flaxseed or ground flaxseed. If you're using whole flaxseed - be sure to ground it before use, either by using a coffee grinder or blender.
It's possible to replace the pumpkin with sweet potato or use only carrots
If desired a creamier sauce you can adjust the amount of coconut milk and add some more, as long as you maintain a total amount of 2 cups of liquid.