Chickpea Balls in Curry Tomato Sauce

Cold and dreary days demand the rich warmth and comforting smells of Indian spices. These vegan Chickpea Balls in Curry Tomato Sauce will satisfy your craving to nestle in to a big bowl of yum.

Ingredients List (serves 4)

Sauce

• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 white onion, chopped
• Salt
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp garam masala 
• 1 tsp turmeric (ground) 
• 1 tsp coriander (ground) 
• 1 tsp cumin (ground) 
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 (1 lb 12 oz) cans San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 cup (or more) unsweetened almond milk

Chickpea Balls

• 1 egg or flax egg (3 Tbsp ground flax whisked in 1/2 cup water)
• 2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 Tbsp minced shallot
• 1 Tbsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• Vegetable or avocado oil

• 1 cup basmati white rice

Method

Step One: In large deep skillet or dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add all of the spices and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add in water and tomatoes. Break tomatoes apart with large spoon. Bring to a light simmer and cover. Stir occasionally while you prepare chickpeas and rice.

Step Two: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the ground flax and water (or whisk egg instead). Let sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the chickpeas. In a food processor, add the chickpeas and pulse until there are almost no whole beans left. Add “egg”, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, and seasonings. Pulse until well combined. Pour mixture into a bowl and use hands to make sure everything is incorporated well. 

Step Three: Lightly oil a large baking sheet. Roll chickpea mixture into one-inch balls and place on oiled baking sheet. Brush or spray chickpea balls with a little more oil. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through. 

Step Four: While the chickpea balls are baking, prepare rice according to package instructions. When the chickpeas are almost finished, check simmering sauce for thickness, stir in almond milk for desired sauce thickness and salt to taste.

Step Five: Serve chickpea balls warm over a bed of rice smothered with a generous amount of sauce.