How many times have you been to a barbecue and been severely disappointed by the selection of store bought burgers and hot dogs with a bare minimum of condiments? It happens to me all the time.
Since it’s 4th of July week, I’ve been thinking about barbecuing all week. Even though I love grilled vegetables, I wanted to grill something with protein. Store bought veggie burgers and soy hot dogs were not an option. They always taste bland to me.
Vegan meatballs sounded good. I looked up several recipes on the internet. I didn’t find anything with the ingredients I had on hand and the flavors I was craving. So, I decided to stick to what I know, lentils and rice, and make up my own recipe in the style of a kofta.
I think they came out great. Let me know what you think!
Grilled Vegan “Meatballs” (Kofta)
Vegan meatballs inspired by Indian kofta
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils (masoor dal)
- 1 cup mung dal - Just use 3/4 cup red lentils if you don't have any mung dal
- 1 cup rice
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 3 garlic cloves (grated on a microplane or finely minced)
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger (grated)
- 1 medium sized onion (grated or finely minced)
- 1 jalapeno (chopped)
- 1 cup cauliflower (steamed or boiled)
- 2 small carrots (steamed or boiled)
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup roughly ground nuts - walnuts (cashews, peanuts...anything goes)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Bring 2 1/4 cups of water to boil and add the lentils and rice. Return to boil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on low heat.
- Squeeze as much water out of the cooked cauliflower and carrots as possible and toss into a large mixing bowl.
- Add all the other ingredients and the rice and lentil mix.
- Mix well.
- Form into little "meatballs". I used a 1/8 cup measure so that they would all be the same size, you can eyeball it if you prefer.
- Refrigerate until ready to cook.
- These can be grilled, sauteed or baked.
- Serve lined into a hot dog bun with cilantro chutney and pickled onions. Or just plain with ketchup.
To Grill:
- Preheat grill. Brush with oil to prevent sticking.
- Cook "meatballs" with the top closed on medium heat for 10-15 minutes turning mid way.
To Bake:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Bake on a greased baking sheet for about 20 minutes. Until golden brown.
To Sautee:
- Heat a tablespoon of oil on a nonstick pan.
- Sautee meatballs on medium high heat for about 10-12 minutes, until evenly golden brown on the out
