Cumin and Eggplant Veggie ‘Meatballs’

You know you are officially an adult when receiving vegetable deliveries excite you LOL. I wanted to work on some new recipes but I was too lazy to leave home and do my own shopping. Ain’t no one got time or energy for the walking in the excruciating October heat. And in such instances, veggie delivery is the way to go. I was so thrilled to received my veggies, courtesy of Fresh Pro. Just one phone call away and  I had all I needed and more: cabbages, eggplant, tomatoes, apples, managu (my fave!!), egg plant, dhania, lettuce etc.

I have been craving some good egg plant for the longest time. Just a note: I am talking about the real egg plant :DD. And I was more than happy to have some in my Fresh Pro delivery. With that, along with courgettes that were in the crate, I decided to make veggie ‘meatballs’. What a paradox that is: veggie meatballs. Who says you can’t enjoy your veggies just as you do your meat?? Ready to have something different with a touch of K? Here we go!!

PREP TIME: 40 MINUTES         COOK TIME: 40 MINUTES     SERVES:3

Ingredients

1 cup of bread crumbs

1 egg

1 egg plant

2 courgettes

4 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of mixed spices

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1 small green bell pepper

Salt to taste

Vegetable oil for frying

2 tomatoes, grated

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric

1 red onion, finely chopped

1/2 a teaspoon of cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of tomato paste

Finely chopped coriander

Cheddar cheese, optional

Method

Slice your egg plant and courgette and grill them until they are cooked through.

Egg plant and courgette have really high water content so it is best to pat them dry before proceeding to cook. It will make the rolling process or the veggie meatballs a lot more easier and make them hold together better.

Slice your hoho very finely and add these three together with the egg, breadcrumbs and the spices. Run these through a food processor until completely mixed. Transfer this into a bowl and allow to cool for minimum 30 minutes so that rolling them is easier.

After this time has lapsed, roll them into your balls and fry them until they turn golden brown. Then set aside. For this particular recipe, breadcrumbs and egg are mandatory since they allow the balls to hold up better. Unlike actual meatballs, these do not have any fat which makes them very easy to come apart. Be very gentle with these.

In a pan, add your whole cumin seeds and cook them until they are fragrant. I bought my cumin seeds from the supermarket and they cost about 60 shillings a pack. They add flavor to the oil which will in turn add flavor in the entire dish. Please do not judge me by the state of my dry hands :DD, it was a long day haha!

Add the finely chopped red onion. After about 3 minutes, add the tomatoes, tomato paste and turmeric and allow this to cook down for about 5 minutes.

Add the veggie ‘Meatballs’ and let them simmer on low heat so that all the flavors meld. If you have your cheese, you can add it at this point. After about 15 minutes, remover from the heat, garnish with your freshly chopped coriander and serve.

No meat? No problem! You can make these bomb veggie ‘meatballs’ with some egg plant, courgette with the delicious flavor of whole cumin. Who are those who say egg plant is boring??!

Whether you are taking a break from eating meat or removed it completely from your diet, you can still enjoy delicious food. Do give my cumin and eggplant veggie ‘meatballs’ a try :))

Happy Friday

-K

Get your downloadable recipe here :))

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