**Introduction:**
Embark on a culinary journey to the heart of Sweden with our delectable Swedish-style vegan kofta balls. These succulent orbs are crafted from a harmonious blend of chickpeas, lentils, and aromatic spices, capturing the essence of traditional Swedish cuisine while adhering to a compassionate, plant-based lifestyle. These kofta balls are not just any ordinary dish; they're a symphony of flavors, textures, and colors that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving for more. In this article, we present a curated collection of recipes that will guide you through the process of creating these delightful vegan kofta balls, offering variations to suit different dietary preferences and culinary expertise. Indulge in the classic Swedish-style recipe, explore a gluten-free alternative, or venture into a tantalizingly spicy version. With step-by-step instructions and a treasure trove of tips, we'll empower you to recreate these culinary gems in the comfort of your kitchen. Prepare to embark on a delectable adventure, where taste and compassion harmoniously intertwine.
VEGAN KOFTA WITH TZATZIKI
Plant-based take on a classic kofta served with amazing vegan tzatziki sauce!
Provided by Lauren Boehme Hartmann
Categories Main Course
Time 25m
Number Of Ingredients 25
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees(F).
- In a large mixing bowl, add the vegan ground beef, grated onion and garlic, the fresh herbs and all the spices. Mix everything together, so it is completely combined. I start with a spoon and then use my hands.
- Divide the kofta mixture into 6 equal portions. Take one portion and wrap it around one of the skewers that you soaked. Pressing around evenly so that is a cylinder up the skewer. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Repeat with the remaining kofta mixture, placing all the skewers on the sheet pan.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are nice and firm.
- While the kofta bakes, make the tzatziki. Add all the tzatziki ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set in the fridge until ready to use.
- Once the kofta has baked, remove from the oven and grill either on a grill pan or a grill for 1-2 minutes on each side, just to brown up. Or you can serve them as is, if you don't have a grill or grill pan.
- Serve immediately with the tzatziki sauce, flatbread and veggies if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 264 kcal, Carbohydrate 24 g, Protein 39 g, Fat 1 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, TransFat 1 g, Cholesterol 2 mg, Sodium 407 mg, Fiber 12 g, Sugar 10 g, UnsaturatedFat 2 g, ServingSize 1 serving
MEDITERRANEAN KOFTA MEATBALLS
For a new take on meatballs, try this quick kofta recipe to make flavorful Mediterranean meatballs full of spices and herbs. Shape meat mixture around soaked wooden skewers and grill them for a more authentic twist. -Rashanda Cobbins, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 25m
Yield 4 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Place onion, parsley, mint, oregano and garlic in bowl of food processor. Pulse until minced. In large bowl, combine herb mixture, lemon pepper, salt, paprika and cumin. Add lamb; mix lightly but thoroughly. With wet hands, shape into 16 balls. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Brown meatballs in batches; drain. Remove and keep warm. Serve meatballs over cooked couscous. Top with yogurt, tomato wedges, and red onion. Garnish with mint leaves and lemon wedges.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 339 calories, Fat 24g fat (10g saturated fat), Cholesterol 90mg cholesterol, Sodium 482mg sodium, Carbohydrate 8g carbohydrate (4g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 22g protein.
SWEDISH STYLE, VEGAN KOFTA BALLS
(They look like meat balls, and have a similar texture as well) This recipe is from "The Higher Taste", a Hare Krishna cookbook, with modifications to suit the westerner's palate. These Kofta balls contain seasonings which are reminiscent of Swedish meat balls, instead of the Indian spices found in the original recipe. The great thing about these Kofta balls is that my 3-year-old son eats them, and normally, he won't touch veggies. Everything tastes good when it's fried! Although these kofta balls are fried, they are not greasy at all. To start, You will need about 1 liter canola oil (expeller pressed, or other oil for deep frying).
Provided by Lance Kimber
Categories Cauliflower
Time 25m
Yield 24 Kofta Balls, 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat enough oil in a pan that's appropriate for deed-frying foods; the oil should be at least 1 inch deep.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl; mush the mixture through your clean hands until well combined and balls can be formed. Form dough into approximately 24 balls that measure roughly about 1 inch in diameter. Resist the temptation to add liquids to the mix. There is enough liquid in the grated vegetables to make the mixture come together. If you absolutely must, add no more than a teaspoon of liquid.
- Place as many of the balls in the hot, but not smoking, oil as possible, leaving enough room for them to float comfortably; fry over medium to high heat (depending on the type of oil you use and the type of range you have) for 10 minutes. The kofta balls should be a rich golden brown color. They will get darker after they are removed from the oil.
- When the frying process is complete, remove the kofta balls from the hot oil and place them into a colander to drain over a plate-or-onto a plate with paper towels to absorb some of the excess oil.
- Place the kofta balls into the tomato sauce of your choice, or into whichever other sauce you may be using, for approximately 5 minutes prior to serving.
- If, after sitting for 5 minutes, the kofta balls have soaked up a lot of the sauce, adding a little water will help reconstitute your sauce.
- Serve with cooked pasta and tomato sauce, or serve with a white cream-style gravy and herb-rubbed potatoes. Experiment, enjoy, and be amazed!
VEGETARIAN KOFTA BALLS (TOMATO SAUCE SEP. RECIPE)
Recipe from "The Higher Taste" that I haven't tried yet. It sounds very delicious though. The homemade tomato sauce is also listed as a separate recipe.
Provided by PSU Lioness
Categories Vegetable
Time 30m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat oil in a wok or 2-quart saucepan.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Roll 24 balls, 1" in diameter.
- Place as many balls in the oil as possible, leaving enough room for them to float comfortably; fry over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the kofta is rich golden brown.
- Drain in colander.
- Place the kofta in the tomato sauce (separate recipe posted or use your own) for 5 minutes before serving.
- If after sitting the kofta soaks up most of the sauce, add a little water to produce more liquid.
- Serve with cooked spaghetti.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 25.6, Fat 0.3, Sodium 894.6, Carbohydrate 5.4, Fiber 2.2, Sugar 2.6, Protein 1.7
MIXED VEGETABLE KOFTA BALLS WITH CASHEWS
This is a rich dish, suitable for parties or special occasions. The fried vegetable balls will loose their crispness, so fry just before serving. When serving, put a few kofta balls on a plate, and then spoon the sauce over the balls.
Provided by Andtototoo
Categories Indian
Time 1h30m
Yield 20-23 balls, 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 28
Steps:
- First make up the sauce (gravy) for the kofta. Put 1/4 cup of the cashews (or slivered almonds would also work) into a spice grinder and powder. Repeat with the rest of the nuts. Put the powdered nuts into a cereal bowl and set aside.
- In a large nonstick frying pan put 2 Table. oil and 2 Table. of butter ( or ghee-which is clarified butter). Heat over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the hing and the powdered nuts, and stir to blend.
- If the nuts are not already toasted/roasted, cook them for a couple of minutes until they darken a few shades, otherwise, skip this step.
- Add 2 cups tomato puree (or in a bind you can use tomato sauce). Cook for about 5 minutes. If using fresh pureed tomatoes, you should cook the sauce about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the sugar, salt, turmeric, garam masala and cayenne powder. Reduce heat to low and cook 3 more minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the 1 cup cream. Put the sauce back on the heat and cook another minute or two to just heat the sauce, but do not let it boil. Check for salt. Garnish with fresh minced cilantro.
- This sauce can be made earlier in the day or even the day before if it is refrigerated. The sauce will thicken, so will need to be thinned out when reheating.
- Make the kofta. To begin, put 4 cups mashed potatoes into a large mixing bowl. The potatoes need to be somewhat dry. You can also use instant mashed potatoes that you have made up on the dry side.
- Stir 1 Table. butter or ghee into the potatoes.
- Meanwhile, steam the small cauliflower florets and the 1/2 grated carrot until the cauliflower is soft. Drain and roughly mash up the cauliflower until it is in little pieces. Add to the potatoes. Add 1/4 cup frozen peas, 1/4 cup cooked corn kernals (optional, but tastes good), 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ginger paste, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and salt to taste. Stir gently, but until everything is well mixed.
- Take 12 cashews and roughly break them into pieces with your hands and add to the vegetable mixture. Add fresh minced cilantro and 3-4 Table. chickpea flour or all-purpose flour to bind. Mix. Check for salt. If the mixture isn't dry enough, add more flour.
- Form the potato mixture into golf-size balls. Set aside for a while, if desired, covered with plastic, or make up right away.
- When ready to fry the vegetable balls, in a medium-size saucepan put oil for deep frying and heat the oil over medium-high heat for about 10-12 minutes. When the oil is hot, carefully add 4-5 of the balls and quickly brown them. The inside of the balls are already cooked, so you are just browning the outside. Cook quickly. Don't add too many balls, or the temperature of the oil will reduce too much and the balls might start dissolving. Drain on paper towel. Repeat with the rest of the balls.
- To serve: put a few of the balls on the plate and spoon the sauce (gravy) over the top.
- Many people like to eat vegetarian kofta balls with just potatoes and grated paneer cheese. I like the texture when using the vegetables. If you want to add some paneer cheese to the mixture, reduce the amount of potatoes by one cup, and replace it with one cup of grated paneer cheese. The word kofta usually means ball shaped, and can be either vegetables, meat or even ball shaped sweet desserts.
- If the kofta balls start breaking apart while frying, you can try several tricks: 1. Increase the heat of the oil; 2. Add more chickpea flour to the balls to make them more dry; 3. Dip the balls in a batter of chickpea flour, water, salt, a dash of cayenne and a dash of ground cumin (optional) and then fry; 4. Put the kofta under the broiler to lightly brown instead of frying.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 462.8, Fat 29.5, SaturatedFat 13.5, Cholesterol 62.3, Sodium 1049.6, Carbohydrate 45, Fiber 6, Sugar 9.4, Protein 8.9
BAKED KOFTA BALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE
This recipe comes out of the Hare Krishna cookbook, The Higher Taste. I took a short cut and used organic tomato sauce from a jar instead of making my own. Of course home made is best. I also baked the Kofta balls instead of frying them in butter. I am only including the recipe for the Kofta Balls. I have changed some of the ingredients to suit my tastes. I didn't add any binder to this as the mixture was moist enough without it. Traditionally these Kofta balls are put over spaghetti, but I put them over Quinoa for something a little different.
Provided by Chef Joey Z.
Categories Grains
Time 45m
Yield 24 balls, 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat your oven to 400'F.
- Coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch oven proof dish or pan with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil so all of it is well covered. If you want to use more then do, these balls will stick to the bottom.
- Grate the cauliflower and cabbage. I used my food processor and it saved a lot of time.
- Put all the other ingredients except the olive oil in a large bowl and add the grated cauliflower and cabbage. Mix until well combined.
- Let the mixture sit for about 20-30 minutes so the moisture from the veggies is absorbed by the flour, this will ensure that the mixture will stick together and you can roll it into balls.
- Roll into 1 inch balls. I found squeezing them back and forth in my hands worked well.
- Place the Kofta balls in the oiled casserole dish.
- Drizzle a little more olive oil over each Kofta ball.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. The Kofta should be a nice golden colour when you remove them.
- Let them cool for a few minutes. If they stick gently slide a spatula under each ball to remove.
- Put the Kofta balls in another dish.
- Spread 1/2 of the jar of pasta sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish. Place the Kofta balls on the sauce.
- Pour the rest of the sauce on top. I added a little water to the jar to get the rest of the sauce out. Let them sit for about one hour. The Kofta balls will absorb the sauce very well.
- You can reheat the Kofta balls in the microwave or in the oven.
- Bon Apetit!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 175.7, Fat 8.4, SaturatedFat 1.6, Cholesterol 2.7, Sodium 963.1, Carbohydrate 22.3, Fiber 5, Sugar 13.5, Protein 3.5
Tips:
- Use a food processor to mince the onion and garlic. This will save you time and effort, and it will also help to ensure that the onion and garlic are evenly chopped.
- Be careful not to overcook the kofta balls. They should be cooked through, but they should still be tender and juicy. If you overcook them, they will become dry and tough.
- Serve the kofta balls with your favorite sauce. A simple tomato sauce or a yogurt-based sauce would both be a good choice.
- If you don't have a food processor, you can mince the onion and garlic by hand. Just be sure to chop them very finely.
- You can also use a blender to make the kofta balls. Just be sure to use a high-powered blender and blend the ingredients until they are very smooth.
Conclusion:
These Swedish-style vegan kofta balls are a delicious and easy-to-make dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are perfect for a weeknight meal or a special occasion. Serve them with your favorite sauce and enjoy!
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