Indian-Style Chickpea Koftas in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Koftas, which for a vegetarian are little Indian-style "meatballs", often made with paneer cheese, potato, legumes, or a variety of other vegetables, have long been a favorite in my kitchen. Served up in a delectable spicy and fragrant gravy, these chickpea and brown rice koftas are inspired by authentic Indian cooking but include such non-traditional ingredients as quinoa and pecans, and don't include paneer cheese to make them vegan-friendly too. Loaded with protein, these little delights are then served in a spicy and creamy roasted red pepper sauce. Though this recipe has a number of steps, it is well worth the effort and a satisying meal you won't soon forget. This creation is now a new favorite that I have added to my repertoire of treasured dishes.

Serve with some Indian flatbreads, such as chickpea flour pancakes (pudla) with crushed peas, ginger, chilies and cilantro, and a vegetable side to further fill out the meal.

Indian-Style Chickpea Koftas in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Recipe by Lisa Turner
Cuisine: Indian
Published on August 7, 2024

Indian-style vegan "meatballs" made with chickpeas, grains, and nuts and served in a delectable and creamy spiced red pepper and tomato gravy

Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 50 to 60 minutes

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Koftas:

3 cups cooked chickpeas (2 14 oz cans or 1 cup dried)
1 1/2 cups cooked short grain brown rice (1/2 cup uncooked)
1 cup cooked quinoa (1/3 cup uncooked)
1 cup pecans
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons sea salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
bread crumbs or chickpea flour (besan), if needed

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

2 roasted red peppers (1 1/2 cups), roughly chopped
1 14 oz (400 mL) can coconut milk
3 medium tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
2 green or red chilies, seeded and minced
1-inch fresh ginger, minced or grated
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Kashmiri or other chili powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon asafetida
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, to taste
2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
small handful of fresh parsley, trimmed and finely chopped
juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons)
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

If using dried chickpeas and grains, rinse and cover the chickpeas with water in a bowl. Rinse the brown rice and cover with 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Rinse the quinoa and cover with 2/3 cup water in a separate small saucepan. Let the chickpeas, brown rice, and quinoa soak for 8 hours or overnight.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas, transfer to a medium saucepan, and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chickpeas are tender…about 1 hour. Drain and set aside. While the chickpeas are cooking, bring the rice and quinoa to a boil in their respective saucepans, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender…about 10 minutes for the quinoa and 20 to 30 minutes for the rice. Remove from the heat and leave to sit, fluffing with a fork after 5 minutes.
To make the koftas, transfer the cooked rice, quinoa, pecans, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until well ground. Now add the cooked chickpeas, baking powder, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, basil, salt, and black pepper, and process until well-blended and ground into a thick mixture that holds together. If the mixture seems a bit too dry, add another tablespoon of olive oil. Transfer to a large bowl. If the mixture seems too soft, stir in some bread crumbs or chickpea flour. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerate and chill for at least 1 hour.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat an oven to 375°F. With lightly greased hands, shape the chilled kofta mixture into 1-inch balls and transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through the baking time, until golden. Cool slightly or, if making ahead, let cool and refrigerate until ready to make the sauce.
To make the sauce, combine the roasted red peppers, coconut milk, and 2 of the tomatoes in a blender and blend until smooth.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds and stir for a minute or until the seeds darken a few shades. Add the garlic, chilies, and ginger, and stir for another few minutes. Now add the turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, paprika, chili powder, basil, asafetida, and cayenne, and stir for another minute. Add the remaining tomato, stir well, and cook for another few mintues to soften. Pour in the red pepper and coconut milk mixture and simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes or longer, until thickened somewhat. Stir in the fenugreek leaves and salt, and simmer for another few minutes. Add the parsley, lemon juice, and black pepper, and stir well to combine.
To finish, add the cooked koftas to the sauce and continue to simmer until the koftas are heated through, about 5 minutes. To serve, scoop a few koftas with some sauce into serving bowls or shallow serving plates. Garnish with some fresh parsley and some cracked black pepper if desired. Serve with Indian flatbreads for a particularly satisying meal.