Lentil meatballs in curry sauce is a delicious meatless meal with a rich sauce and lots of great, rustic flavors.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: coconut milk, curry, gingerbread, lentils, meatless, red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, vegan
Ingredients
Meatball Ingredients
1cupdried lentils
1tablespoonolive oil
1medium yellow oniondiced
6 to 8clovesgarlicminced
2teaspoonscurry powder
1tablespoonsoy sauce
2teaspoonsdried coriander
2teaspoonsdried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
4tablespoonsdried breadcrumbs
Curry Sauce Ingredients
1tablespooncoconut oilor use olive oil
1medium yellow oniondiced
1red bell pepperdiced
6 to 8clovesgarlicminced
1teaspoonfresh gingergrated (or sub 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger)
2teaspoonscumin
4teaspoonscurry powder
3large tomatoesdiced
1cupwater
1cupfull-fat coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2teaspoonsred chili flakes
Instructions
Cook the lentils according to package directions. (Don't worry if they get a little mushy—you're going to process them anyway.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
For the meatballs, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion until it's soft, and then add the garlic and remove the skillet from the heat when it browns slightly.
Add all of the meatball ingredients to a food processor or blender and process to a coarse consistency. There will probably still be some whole lentils in there, and that's perfectly fine. Taste the filling and add any more spices, if necessary.
If the mixture is too wet to hold together, add more breadcrumbs until it reaches a consistency where it will. Set the mixture aside for about 10 minutes to let it cool down before handling it.
Have a bowl of water handy and shape the mixture with wet hands into about one-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. They can be fairly crowded but not touching. Brush them with some additional olive oil and bake for 30 minutes, turning them halfway through.
While the meatballs cook, start on the curry sauce. Using the same skillet as before, heat the coconut oil over medium heat and add the onion and bell pepper. Cook them until soft.
Add the garlic, ginger, cumin and curry powder, and stir to combine. Once the garlic is slightly browned, add the tomatoes, water, coconut milk, salt and chili flakes.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat. Place a lid on the skillet and let it cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and blend until it's smooth. Pour the sauce back into the skillet and let it cook for a few minutes to thicken a bit, and taste it to see if it needs more seasoning.
When the meatballs are finished, drop them into the skillet with the curry sauce and then serve over cooked rice with some pita or naan bread on the side.