theveganpea

These kofta are really tasty and super healthy because they are packed with protein. I love black beans and quinoa, and they are both great sources for vegans to consume protein. Quinoa balls are becoming really popular but I found a lot of the ones I tasted were lacking on the flavour front…and then these tasty kofta were born, packing a garlic and spice punch! They are pretty versatile in terms of the size you make them…they can be used as kofta, bean balls in pitas or even be made as a burger patty.

Preparation time: 1 hour (including cooking time)

Ingredients (Serves 4):

Kofta:

• 230g drained Black Beans (preferred brand is Sainsbury’s SO Organic)
• 1 1/2 cups Quinoa
• 10 Oregano leaves
• 10 Mint leaves
• 6 Basil leaves
• 7 Almonds (raw and unsalted)
• 1 Lemon juiced
• 4 Green Chillies
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• Salt to taste
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil

Sauce:

• 1 cup Almonds (raw and unsalted)
• 1/3 cup Pine Nuts
• 3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• 1/3 cup Almond Milk
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 8 Cherry Tomatoes
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Boil the quinoa in water salted with 1 tbsp of salt, and follow the cooking instructions on the packet
2. Drain the quinoa well once cooked
3. Add all the ingredients for the kofta apart from the olive oil and quinoa into a blender until a thick mixture has formed
4. Now add the quinoa to the blender and mix through until the mixture has thickened and the quinoa has slightly broken down
5. Wet your hands with water and shape the mixture into golf ball sized patties
6. Place all the sauce ingredients into a blender and allow to blend for 10 minutes
7. In a frying pan, heat up the 3tbsp olive oil on a medium heat, and then cook the patties in batches for 3-5 minutes on each side
8. Once the patties are cooked, serve them with a healthy dollop of sauce
9. Enjoy my Little Peas!