weeknight sticky sesame jalapeño chickpea meatballs
I have finally unencrypted the code for a successful chickpea meatball!
Vegetarian meatballs were an experiment I was quite afraid to undertake. I’ve tried many in the past and each yielded some kind of weird goopy slop. The texture and moisture level of veggie balls takes a bit of science to perfect, but with this simple concoction over here, the result was at last something of which I’m utterly proud.
It’s taper time over in the household, so that means a heavy focus on nutrition and gearing up for our race in less than two weeks. As far as recipe development goes, I’m emphasizing lighter and fresher flavors (and cupcakes, muahaha) and largely avoiding heavy cream sauces and the like. Taper also means more rest, less time on my feet, and other stress-reduction techniques that are pretty individual among future racers. For me, I’m probably going to treat myself to a couple facial masks and perform some extra foam rolling. The latter isn’t exactly fun, but I always feel way better afterwards.
Honestly, I have the biggest craving for Cinnamon Toast Crunch right now, so I impulse bought a box during Monday’s Target run. Oops. So much for Superman-style nutrition over here.
Whether you’re rousing up your glycogen stores for a marathon or just seeking a healthy and simple dish for din, Weeknight Sticky Sesame Jalapeño Chickpea Meatballs do the trick. Whiz up a batter in the food processor and brown the balls on the stovetop for a bit, then shake up a tangy sauce to pour overtop the balls and some fresh squashes. Dish a serving out over rice (my favorite) or some noodles and in less than 40 minutes you’ve got a complete and nourishing meal in front of you.
Balls of Fun
A food processor makes the chickpea meatball batter much easier to deal with. A high powered blender probably works too, but I wouldn’t rely on your hands unless you’re the Hulk. Just being honest.
In the bowl, combine a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas with an egg, breadcrumbs, a deseeded jalapeño, green onions, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and some black pepper. Blitz it up until a smooth and slightly tacky, but not mushy, batter forms. I did not need additional liquid or breadcrumbs but if you do, add one or the other 1 tablespoon at a time depending on whether you’re fixing dryness or moisture.
Spread a little cornstarch on a plate or a shallow bowl. Form tablespoon sized balls of the chickpea batter and roll in the starch. This aids in browning as well as thickening the sauce that comes later.
Brown Ball, Brown Ball, What Do You See?
Before I cook up the meatballs, I like to prep everything else I’m going to need since the dish pulls together real fast. So: mince up your ginger and garlic, slice some summer squashes (or whatever veggie you’d like, really!) and shake up the sauce. If you plan to serve rice alongside the dish, which I recommend, get the rice cooker going, or whatever method you use.
For the sauce, simply combine soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, black pepper, and some water. In another little bowl, stir together cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Such creates the “stick” that makes this dish so delectable.
Once all that’s done, fire up some oil in a skillet. Well, don’t fire it, you might have bigger problems than dinner on your hand…Cook the meatballs, turning three or four times, for 10-12 minutes until nice and golden all over. Scooch em to a plate when they’re done.
Saute the squashes, then stir in garlic and ginger. Pour in the sauce and let it boil a few minutes to thicken. Add the meatballs back to the pan and stir in the starch slurry, tossing everything gently until the sauce really coats the veggies and balls. That’s what she said.
Because I’m a garnish hoe, I like some extra sesame seeds and green onions in my bowl. And, of course, rice.
Like any stir fry, you can pretty easily swap out the veggies for something you have on hand. Think broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, bell peppers. Really anything. If you need a gluten-free sauce, use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy. I’ve honestly never played with those alternatives, but they seem very widely available and universally liked.
For my vegan pals out there, use a flax or chia egg instead of regular. Let me know how it goes!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
weeknight sticky sesame jalapeño chickpea meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 jalapeño, deveined and seeds removed
- 2 green onions, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- 1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
- 2 medium summer squashes, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- steamed rice, additional green onions, and sesame seeds, for serving
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chickpeas, egg, breadcrumbs, jalapeño, green onions, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pulse until a cohesive dough forms. If the batter seems too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of corn starch on a plate or in a shallow bowl. Form 12-16 tablespoon sized balls out of the chickpea dough and roll in the starch until coated.
- In a jar, add the 1/2 cup of soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 cup of water and shake until combined.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Brown the meatballs for 10-12 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes until each side is crisp and golden. Move to a plate.
- In the same pan, drizzle in another tablespoon of oil if needed. Saute the squashes for 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and ginger for another minute. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil for 4-5 minutes.
- Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon of starch with 1 tablespoon of water to make a slurry. Add the slurry and the meatballs into the pan and toss everything an additional 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the veggies and meatballs.
- Serve with steamed rice, green onions, and sesame seeds, as desired.
