Curried Vegetarian Meatballs

Ingredients

• Lentils

  Raw

  ½ cup or 96g

• Water

  Plain, clean water

  1 cup or 237g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Scallions

  Spring onions or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw

  ¼ cup, chopped or 25g

• Garlic

  Raw

  1 cloves, minced or 3g

• Carrots

  Raw

  ½ cup grated or 55g

• Pecans

  Nuts

  ¼ cup, chopped or 27g

• Walnuts

  Nuts, english

  ¼ cup, chopped or 29g

• Bread crumbs

  Dry, grated, plain

  ¼ cup or 27g

• Cumin

  Spices, cumin seed

  ½ tsp, ground or 2g

• Coriander seed

  Spices

  ½ tsp or 0.9g

• Salt

  Table

  ½ tsp or 3g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  ¼ tsp or 0.5g

• Egg

  Whole, fresh eggs

  1 large or 50g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  4 tbsp or 54g

• Onions

  Raw

  4 medium or 440g

• Garlic

  Raw

  10 clove or 30g

• Ginger root

  Raw

  1 tbsp or 6g

• Peppers

  Hot chile, sun-dried

  3 pepper or 2g

• Curry powder

  Spices

  4 tsp or 8g

• Cumin

  Spices, cumin seed

  4 tsp, ground or 12g

• Turmeric

  Spices, ground

  4 tsp or 9g

• Coriander seed

  Spices

  3 tbsp or 15g

• Peppercorn

  Whole peppercorns, black

  1 tsp or 2g

• Tomatoes

  Red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice

  2 cup or 480g

• Bay leaf

  Spices

  1 tbsp, crumbled or 2g

• Lemon juice

  Raw

  1 tbsp or 15g

• Cayenne pepper

  Spices, red or cayenne

  ½ tsp or 0.9g

• Fresh cilantro

  Coriander leaves, raw

  4 sprigs or 9g

Directions

1. Rinse the lentils. Combine lentils and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, 23–25 minutes. Add a splash more water if needed to prevent scorching, then drain well.
2. Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped scallions, 1 minced garlic clove, and grated carrots; cook, stirring, until the carrots soften, 4–6 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3. In a food processor, pulse the cooked lentils, sautéed vegetables, chopped pecans and walnuts, bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper until combined but still textured. Add the egg and pulse just until the mixture holds together. Let rest while you preheat the oven to 425°F.
4. Roll the mixture into 12 golf ball–size meatballs. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and lightly brush with olive oil. Bake until browned and crisp, 25–30 minutes.
5. For the sauce, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, remaining garlic (10 cloves), and grated or minced ginger; cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent and starting to brown, 8–10 minutes.
6. Stir in the chiles, curry powder, 4 tsp ground cumin, turmeric, 3 tbsp coriander seed, and whole black peppercorns; cook until very fragrant, about 2 minutes.
7. Add the canned tomatoes and bay leaf, scraping up any browned bits. Pour in 2 cups water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until flavors meld, 25–30 minutes.
8. Let the sauce cool slightly, then blend until smooth. Return to the pot, stir in lemon juice and cayenne, and season to taste with salt.
9. Bring the sauce back to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the baked lentil meatballs and warm through, 3–5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro.