Vege balls

Tam West

Serve these vege balls with salad or seasonal vegetables as a meal, with a dipping sauce for nibbles, in pita pockets or buns or wrapped in tortillas for this vege ball taco. This recipe makes a large container of mix, so freeze portions to thaw, crumb and fry later. Or fry them all and freeze, for an easy thaw and reheat later.

Ingredients

1 drizzle	Olive oil, for frying
2	Spring onions, chopped (Main)
½	Eggplants, chopped (Main)
1	Courgette, chopped (Main)
3	Garlic cloves, crushed
1	Red chilli, minced, use up to 2
1 small knob	Ginger, grated
1 tsp	Cumin
1 tsp	Coriander
1 tsp	Onion powder
1 can	Chickpeas, drained, or 4 bean mix (Main)
1 small handful	Curry leaves, or chopped coriander (Main)
½	Lemons, zest and juice
⅓ cup	Cider vinegar, or pickle juice
2	Eggs, 1 for vege balls, the other whisked for coating
1 handful	Mint, chopped (Main)
¼ cup	Fine cornmeal flour, or panko breadcrumbs (I used panko mixed with sesame and poppy seeds) (Main)
2 scoops	Flour
1 packet	Breadcrumbs, use as much as needed to coat
1 sprinkle	Sea salt flakes

Directions

1. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan. Add spring onions, eggplant and courgette. Add garlic, red chillies, grated ginger and cumin, coriander and onion powders and gently cook to soften.
2. Add can of chickpeas, curry leaves, lemon zest and juice, cider vinegar and cook to incorporate all the liquid, mashing everything as you stir. Season, cool and then chill.
3. When cold, add the egg, chopped mint, fine cornmeal flour and mix well. Roll spoonfuls into small falafel shaped balls, then coat them in flour, whisked egg and breadcrumbs. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, drain, sprinkle with sea salt flakes.