beluga black lentil balls with veggie ragu
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Mains
Cuisine
Italian
Author:
Rohan Anderson, Whole Larder Love
Servings
4
"Most of my meals are designed to get my kids to eat them. They have to be tasty, and a little fun. This is one such meal. It’s not a meat substitute, far from it, there is meat in the ragu, it’s more so a meal that makes the most of the in season vegetables while providing nutritional goodness without the kids realising it. For me, this meal is a winner with the crisp and crunch of the balls, the moist and rich flavoured ragu and the joy of the spices. It’s a perfect meal for late summer and autumn when these veggies are abundant."
- Rohan Anderson
Ingredients
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2-3 zucchini, finely chopped
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2 onion, chopped
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4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups chopped tomato
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1 cup dry red wine
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1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 cup water
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4 rashes of bacon, diced (optional)
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A handful of curly parsley, finely chopped
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Flat parsley, for garnish
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Good glug of Mount Zero Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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1 Jalapeno, sliced for garnish
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Mount Zero Pink Lake Salt, to taste
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1 cup Mount Zero Beluga Black Lentils
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2 cup water
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
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⅕ cup toasted bread crumbs
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1 egg
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Good glug of Mount Zero Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Mount Zero Pink Lake Salt, to taste
Veggie Ragu
Beluga Black Lentil Balls
Directions
Veggie Ragu
Heat a generous glug of olive oil on a heavy fry pan.
Brown the onions for five minutes, then add the zucchini, bacon (if using) and garlic and fry for a further 10 mins on medium heat.
Add the tomato, turn up the heat and squish the tomato to make a sauce.
- Pour in the wine, water, chill powder, chopped curly parsley, season with salt.
- Turn the heat to low and simmer gently for an hour to reduce and concentrate flavours.
Beluga Black Lentil Balls
Rinse lentils a few times, then soak for an hour in cold water. Drain.
- Pour the 2 cups of water, the drained lentils and the cumin into a pot and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more water if needed.
- When soft, and the water has been absorbed, remove from heat and allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius.
- Transfer lentils into food processor, add bread crumbs, thyme and egg and pulsate a few times. You don’t want a mush, just a little blend is required.
Form into balls and transfer to a paper-lined baking dish.
Brush each ball with olive oil and crack over pink lake salt.
Bake balls in the oven for 30-40 mins until firm.
When balls are ready, serve with a base of ragu, a dollop of natural yogurt, flat leaf parsley and sliced jalapeño.