Red Lentil Meatballs in Red Sauce

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup organic red lentils (Soaked; the source recommends soaking for at least 1 hour, although a long soak is not essential)
• 1 potato (Medium-large, whole for cooking; mash afterward)
• 1 onion (Large, whole for cooking; mash well afterward)
• 8 clove garlic (Cooked whole with the lentils)
• 3 tbsp rye or spelt flour (For binding; fine oats may be used instead. Add more if needed)
• 1 tbsp raw tahini
• 2 tbsp chia seeds (Soaked; mixed with warm water to form a thick gel)
• 1 tsp sweet paprika (For the meatballs)
• 1 tbsp dried onion flakes
• 1 tsp cumin (For the meatballs)
• 1 tsp ras el hanout
• 1 bunch fresh parsley (Finely chopped; reserve additional parsley for garnish if desired)
• 2 tbsp date syrup (silan) (For the meatballs)
• 4 clove garlic (Crushed, for the sauce)
• 1 tsp cumin (For the sauce)
• 2 tsp sweet paprika (For the sauce)
• lemon zest (A little, for the sauce)
• 3 tbsp tomato paste (For the sauce)
• 1.75 cup boiling water (The source gives a range of 1½–2 cups)
• 4 tbsp olive oil (For the sauce and cooking/browning as needed; the source does not specify the division)
• 1.5 tbsp date syrup (silan) (For the sauce)
• salt (To taste, for the sauce)
• black pepper (To taste, for the sauce)
• water (Enough to fully cover the lentils, potato, onion, and garlic while cooking)
• warm water (Amount not specified; use enough to hydrate the chia seeds into a thick gel)

Steps

1. 1

   Soak the red lentils. A long soak is not essential, but the source recommends at least 1 hour to help reduce gas.

2. 2

   While the lentils cook, mix the chia seeds with warm water in a small bowl. Let the mixture stand until a thick gel forms; this chia gel acts as a binder in place of eggs.

3. 3

   Place the soaked red lentils in a medium-sized pot. Add the whole onion, whole potato, and garlic cloves.

4. 4

   Pour in enough water to fully cover all the ingredients. Bring the pot to a boil.

5. 5

   Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are completely soft and the potato and onion are very tender—a fork should slide into them easily.

6. 6

   Drain the cooked lentil mixture thoroughly to remove excess liquid.

7. 7

   Mash the cooked onion well and finely chop the herbs and vegetables, as recommended in the source.

8. 8

   Combine the drained lentil mixture with the binding and seasoning ingredients listed for the meatballs, including the chia gel, flour or fine oats, tahini, paprika, onion flakes, cumin, ras el hanout, parsley, and date syrup. Add more flour or oats if needed for binding.

9. 9

   Shape the mixture into meatballs. Chill or freeze them before cooking to help prevent them from falling apart.

10. 10

    Prepare the red sauce from the listed sauce ingredients. The supplied source does not provide the detailed order or cooking time for this step.

11. 11

    Brown the meatballs well on all sides.

12. 12

    Simmer the browned meatballs briefly in the red sauce. If the meatballs are not firm enough, do not cook them in the sauce; instead, pour the sauce over them.

13. 13

    Serve with white rice, couscous, or fresh bread. Garnish with fresh parsley and plenty of tahini.

Notes

The supplied description says that further instructions are in the comments, but no comments were provided. Therefore, the detailed sauce method, exact meatball-shaping instructions, and precise browning and simmering times are unavailable. The source recommends chilling or freezing the meatballs before cooking, browning them well on all sides, and omitting the simmering step if they are not firm enough.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• vegetarian
• vegan
• dairy-free
• egg-free
• Middle Eastern-inspired
• stovetop
• simmered