Vegan Meatballs in Pumpkin Curry Sauce

Anastasia

4 years ago

Looking for authentic, chewy and savory vegan meatballs that don’t taste like bread? Here I am with a very pleasant surprise for you.

My vegan meatballs are firm, chewy and unexpectedly meaty that can fool anyone who tries them. I can honorably say that they are better than a real thing. Especially with this rich, creamy and flavorsome pumpkin curry sauce.

The main ingredient is soy meat or TVP. I didn’t use soy mince, because it is hard to find a good one here where I live. Usually it turns into flavorless mushy mess. Instead I rehydrated some TVP chunks and then chopped them with a knife. Guys, it turned out even better that I would expect! Amongst few other things I used psyllium husk as a binder that really helped my meatballs keep their shape. But if you can’t find psyllium husk anywhere you can still make this recipe using flaxseed meal instead. Although I don’t guarantee the same mind-blowing result.

READY? LET’S MAKE IT!

In separate bowls soak soya chunks and cashews in hot water for an hour. Drain and rinse soya chunks and then squeeze all the water out.

Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C).

Mince your “meat” with a knife. It’s ok if you have smaller and bigger bits, this makes a great texture later.

Add minced soya meat into a large mixing bowl along with onion, spices, lemon juice and zest, cornstarch, psyllium husk, chickpea flour, salt and soy sauce. Mix well to incorporate.

Form vegan meatballs by pressing the mixture with your hands and rolling it into balls.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium to high heat. Roll “meatballs” in cornmeal and place into the skillet. Fry for a minute until golden brown, then turn and fry for another minute.

Transfer vegan meatballs onto a lined baking tray and put in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip the “meatballs” after 10 minutes of baking.

Meanwhile make quick pumpkin curry sauce. Heat oil in a large shallow pan. Sauté onion until soft and translucent. Throw in garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add curry powder and stir until fragrant.

Finally add tomatoes, mashed pumpkin and water. Let everything simmer for 7-10 minutes. Stir in salt and lemon juice and remove from the heat.

Drain and rinse cashews and add them into a blender followed by sautéed veggies. Blend on a high speed until super smooth.

Pour the sauce back into the pan and gently heat it up. Add vegan meatballs and cook them in the sauce for few minutes to absorb the flavor.

Serve over rice, quinoa or even pasta.

Note: if you can’t find psyllium husk anywhere, try flaxseed meal instead.

Vegan Meatballs in Pumpkin Curry Sauce

Authentic firm and chewy vegan meatballs in rich and creamy pumpkin curry sauce.

Author: Anastasia
Prep Time: 1 hour 20 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Yield: 12 vegan meatballs
Category: Main course
Cuisine: Indian, Vegan

Ingredients

For meatballs:

2 C soya chunks (approx. 65g)
1 small onion, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp hot paprika
zest of 1/2 lemon
black pepper to taste
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp psyllium husk*
1/4 C chickpea flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce (or tamari for GF option)
squeeze of lemon
3 tbsp cornmeal for rolling
oil for cooking

For the sauce:

1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 slice of ginger, minced (about 2 tsp)
2 tbsp curry powder
1 can diced tomatoes
250g mashed roasted pumpkin, butternut squash or pumpkin purée
1/2 C water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 C cashews
salt to taste
oil for cooking

Instructions

In separate bowls soak soya chunks and cashews in hot water for an hour. Drain and rinse soya chunks and then squeeze all the water out.
Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C).
Mince your “meat” with a knife. It’s ok if you have smaller and bigger bits, this makes a great texture later.
Add minced soya meat into a large mixing bowl along with onion, spices, lemon juice and zest, cornstarch, psyllium husk, chickpea flour, salt and soy sauce. Mix well to incorporate.
Form vegan meatballs by pressing the mixture with your hands and rolling it into balls.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium to high heat. Roll “meatballs” in cornmeal and place into the skillet. Fry for a minute until golden brown, then turn and fry for another minute.
Transfer vegan meatballs onto a lined baking tray and put in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip the “meatballs” after 10 minutes of baking.
Meanwhile make quick pumpkin curry sauce. Heat oil in a large shallow pan. Sauté onion until soft and translucent. Throw in garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add curry powder and stir until fragrant.
Finally add tomatoes, mashed pumpkin and water. Let everything simmer for 7-10 minutes. Stir in salt and lemon juice and remove from the heat.
Drain and rinse cashews and add them into a blender followed by sautéed veggies. Blend on a high speed until super smooth.
Pour the sauce back into the pan and gently heat it up. Add vegan meatballs and cook them in the sauce for few minutes to absorb the flavor.
Serve over rice, quinoa or even pasta.