Vegetarian Meatballs in Coconut Turmeric Sauce

Prep / Cook / Total    -    30 / 35 / 1h 5min

Ingredients for the Meatless Meatballs

• 230g cauliflower rice (about 2 cups, see note)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa, cold
• 1 cup fresh chopped coriander or parsley
• ½ cup flour (you can use any kind here)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp allspice powder
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (to pan fry the meatballs)

For the Coconut Turmeric Sauce

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin (about 2 cups)
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1″ fresh ginger root, grated (about 2 tablespoons)
• ½ tsp organic turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp cracked black pepper
• ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 cup canned full fat coconut milk
• 1 cup vegetable broth or water
• 2 tbsp lime or lemon juice
• ½ cup chopped coriander

Instructions

1. Combine all the meatball ingredients (except the vegetable oil for pan frying) in a large bowl and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
2. In the meantime, prepare the sauce: In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add onions and cook over medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes. Add turmeric, salt, black and red pepper flakes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add coconut milk, lime juice and vegetable broth and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
4. Add chopped coriander, remove from heat and set aside.
5. To prepare the meatballs, heat the vegetable oil in a separate skillet. Working with 1 heaping tablespoon of mixture at a time, form about 22 meatballs. Arrange them in the skillet and cook over medium heat, 2-3 minutes per side. Set aside.
6. Before serving, place the meatballs in the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes (if the sauce has thickened too much, you can add a little water to get the desired consistency).
7. Serve warm over rice or quinoa.

• Notes: You can buy cauliflower rice at most grocery stores. You can also make your own by chopping cauliflower in a food processor. Make sure quinoa is cool before making the cauliflower meatballs.