Amazing vegan chickpea meatballs in curry sauce
These amazing vegan chickpea meatballs in creamy curry sauce is just as good or maybe even better than the name implies. They are meaty, delicious and everything a meatball should be and they are both vegan and gluten-free. It doesn’t get much better than this vegan Ikea meatballs copycat recipe. Unlike some meatless meatballs, these vegan chickpea Ikea copycat meatballs aren’t. Thanks to the sticky nature of the rice along with the soft texture of the chickpeas make for a moist and delicious vegan and gluten-free meatballs. You can use these meatless meatballs in meatball subs, sandwiches or with a side of salad…or you can serve them with a creamy curry sauce like I do in this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 cups Cooked Basmati Rice or your preferred rice
- 1 cup Cashew Nuts or Walnuts
- 4 cloves Garlic Minced
- ½ Yellow Onion Very finely chopped
- 30oz can Chickpeas Drained (3 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 5 tbsp Nutritional Yeast Optional
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- ¼ cup Rolled Oats Gluten-free if needed
- 2 tsp Sea salt
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tbsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tbsp Dried Basil
Curry Sauce
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 cloves Garlic Finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Curry Powder
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 cup (300ml) Vegetable Broth
- 1 cup (300ml) Coconut Milk or Full fat Cashew Milk
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch To thicken the sauce if needed
- 1 bunch Fresh Parsley or fresh basil
Instructions
For the Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a pan and add the minced garlic. Let the garlic cook for 1 minute while stirring before adding the salt, curry powder, smoked paprika and nutmeg. Let the spices cook for a half minute before adding the vegetable broth and plant based cream.
- Bring to a boil, then add tomato paste. If the sauce is too thin you can add a little cornstarch mixed with a tablespoon of water and bring to a boil again. Add extra salt if needed and add the fresh parsley right before serving.
The Meatless Meatballs
- Start by adding the cooked rice, minced garlic and cashew nuts to the food processor. Pulse until the mix is finely ground.
- Next, add the drained chickpeas, dried oregano, dried basil, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, tomato paste and nutritional yeast to the food processor. Pulse until everything is mixed together and holds together when you shape the mixture into a meatballs. Add rolled oats to the mixture if it is too mushy by adding a little at a time. If the mixture is too firm and and crumbly, you can add a couple of tablespoons cold water or olive oil and mix together.
Cooking in a pan
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan and shape the chickpea mixture into meatballs. Press the meatballs firmly together and carefully place them in the heated frying pan. Fry the meatballs for 10-15 minutes at medium high heat, flipping them over and around every 3 minutes to make sure all sides become lightly golden and delicious. Once the meatballs are cooked, pour the sauce on top and
Cooking in the Oven
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking trey with baking paper. Shape the chickpea mixture into meatballs and press them firmly together. Place the meatballs on the lined baking sheet and drizzle with a little oil. Cook them in the oven for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, or cook until the meatball are golden and just starting to go a little crispy on the outside.
Notes
if you’re using dry chickpeas you need to cook them until they are very soft and add 2-3 tablespoons extra water or olive oil.