Garbanzo Beans, Apricot, Dill Meatballs Recipe | Vegan Meatballs | Kabuli Chana, Khubani, Suva Meatballs Recipe

In a world full of different people, we do not realise how many have touched our lives, influenced our thinking and shaped the person we are today. Even before we realise they have encircled us with a whiff of beautiful thoughts, sprinkled invaluable ways to improve ourselves and we without even realising, have been imbibing a little from each of them and evolving into who we are at this moment. But, that point of time, when this realisation dawns on us, we should without much ado, thank these priceless individuals and treasure them in our lives.

Even in this virtual world of social media, it is no different. There are many who touch my thoughts everyday, sometime through their post, sometime through the encouraging and generous words they leave behind on my posts. Often, I read about people and have even come across a few, in this virtual world, who do not carry a positive attitude in what they do.  Yes I do get affected by their hollow behavior and hardheartedness, though only for a very short time. I feel, why divert my energy to something negative, when there is enough positive and generous people around. Remember "inhale love and exhale fear " my New Year resolution. I am keeping true to it by surrounding myself with people with love filled attitude, even in the virtual world and keeping at bay everything negative and every single thing which creates any negative energy in me. 

Today I with pleasure bring to you a finger food which is vegan, yet I can guarantee that you will not miss any of the regular meatballs after taking a bite of this. It's a Vegan Garbanzo Beans Meatball with apricot and fresh dill leaves. It's a bite of flavours totally, the very aromatic fresh dill leaves, overtakes your senses and the sweetness from the dried apricots with all the other ingredients which go into this yum packed sphere are sure to floor you. 

I have tried to kept it nutritious and as much guilt free as possible. The rest I leave it to you my dear readers. Lets's make these delicious vegan meatballs together and then you can lap up the vegan meatballs in the sauce of your choice. I chose a Pomegranate and Jalapeno chutney with the indigenous paanch phoron (the five whole spices which adds magic to many a bengali dishes) to give that extra pep up and you can get the recipe by clicking the link right below.

Pomegranate and Jalapeno Chutney Recipe

Garbanzo Beans, Apricot, Dill Meatballs Recipe | Vegan Meatballs | Kabuli Chana, Khubani, Suva Meatballs Recipe ~

AUTHOR : PIYALI MUTHA

SERVES : 4

CUISINE : INTERNATIONAL 

TYPE : APPETIZER 

TIME : 30 MINUTES PREPARATION + 20 MINUTES COOKING + OVERNIGHT SOAKING OF GARBANZO BEANS

INGREDIENTS :

1) 1/2 Cup (100 Gms) dried Garbanzo Beans ( Kabuli Chana, Chickpeas ) . You can use canned chickpeas about 1 Cup also

2) 10 ~ 12 Dried Appricots

3) 4 Tbsp fresh Dill leaves 

4) 4 chilies finely chopped

5) 1 Tbsp Garlic finely chopped 

6) 1/2 Tbsp Ginger finely chopped

7) 1 Large Onion finely chopped

8) 1 Medium sized Sweet Potato boiled

9) 2~3 Tbsp Oats

10) Chaat Masala

11) 2 Tbsp Oil 

12) Salt to taste

THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE THESE VEGAN MEATBALLS ~

1) Wash the garbanzo beans thoroughly in a colander. Drain them. Soak them covered with water, overnight. Do not refrigerate. In the morning the dried garbanzo beans would have become plump. Drain the water.

• Take the garbanzo beans and place them in a pressure cooker. Cover them with water and cook them for 8 ~ 10 whistles or until soft.
• You know that the garbanzo beans are cooked completely when you can easily smash them with your fingers. Close the burner and remove the pressure cooker off the heat.
• Drain the water from the garbanzo beans and discard the water. 
• TIP : If you are using canned garbanzo beans / chickpeas then omit step 1.

2) Using a grinder, grind the garbanzo beans into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

TIP : You can use a masher too, but that takes time and effort both. Do not add water while grinding nor while using a masher. The garbanzo beans paste, after grinding should be moisture free and slightly crumbly. 

• Chop the onion, ginger, garlic, dill leaves, chilies, finely and cut the Apricots into tiny pieces. Boil the sweet potato. Remove the skin and break it into small pieces. Keep ready to use.

3) Assemble all the ingredients together on your working platform along with a large mixing bowl. First add the boiled and ground garbanzo beans into the bowl.

• Next add the chopped fresh dill leaves, ginger, garlic, onions, oats, chaat masala, salt to the ground garbanzo beans in the bowl.                                                                          
• TIP : While seasoning with salt remember that chaat masala has some salt in it already. I did not add any salt because I used masala oats, which already has salt in it enough for the perfect seasoning.
• Using your all important fingers bring the contents in the bowl all together by exerting a slight pressure with your palms.
• Add the sweet potatoes and knead it into the mixture in the bowl. By this time your mixture should have the consistency of a soft dough. 
• Finally add the apricot and chopped chilies and incorporate them into the mixture by mixing lightly.

4) Take a little bit of the mixture in your palm. The mixture should now not be crumbly nor sticky.

TIP: If it's too crumbly or sticky you will find it difficult to shape the mixture into balls. If you think the mixture is crumbly add a little boiled sweet potato to it. If it's sticky add oats to the mixture.

• Apply light pressure to the small sized mixture you have just taken and press it between your fingers to give it a shape.
• Give the vegan meatball mixture the shape of a sphere. It should be about the size of a lemon. 
• Make sphere shaped vegan meatballs with the entire mixture. It should yield 15 vegan meatballs approximately. Arrange all the vegan meatballs on a dish ready to use.

5) Take a paniyaram pan (a pan with circular cavities in it) . Add a few drops of oil into each cavity.

• When the oil is hot, place the garbanzo beans meatballs, one each in each cavity of the paniyaram pan.
• TIP: I have used the paniyaram pan, for frying the garbanzo beans meatballs, so that minimal oil is used to fry them. You can deep fry, air fry or even bake these vegan meatballs. 
• Once the vegan meatballs turn golden brown on one side, turn them over, then around till they become evenly golden brown allover. 
• TIP : Start the frying with a high heat and then reduce to medium and again high towards the end. These vegan meatballs should not take more than 5~7 minutes to be done completely, since they are almost precooked. 
• Once fully done they have this light crunch on the outside and melting softness within.
• Transfer the vegan meatballs into a wok and drizzle the sauce of your choice over it. Nicely coat  each meatball with the sauce and serve as a yummy appetizer.
• Serve these bit sized yumminess at your house parties, kids play dates, or Super Bowl Appetizer(which is just round the corner ) and enjoy. Don't forget to pair these with my mouthwatering Pomegranate and Jalapeno Chutney.

PICTORIAL STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE :

1) Wash the garbanzo beans thoroughly in a colander. Drain them. Soak them covered with water, overnight. Do not refrigerate. In the morning the dried garbanzo beans would have become plump. Drain the water.

Take the garbanzo beans and place them in a pressure cooker. Cover them with water and cook them for 8 ~ 10 whistles or until soft. 

You know that the garbanzo beans are cooked completely when you can easily smash them with your fingers. Close the burner and remove the pressure cooker off the heat.

Drain the water from the garbanzo beans and discard the water. 

TIP : If you are using canned garbanzo beans / chickpeas then omit step 1.

2) Using a grinder, grind the garbanzo beans into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

TIP : You can use a masher too, but that takes time and effort both. Do not add water while grinding nor while using a masher. The garbanzo beans paste, after grinding should be moisture free and slightly crumbly. 

Chop the onion, ginger, garlic, dill leaves, chilies, finely and cut the Apricots into tiny pieces. Boil the sweet potato. Remove the skin and break it into small pieces. Keep ready to use.

3) Assemble all the ingredients together on your working platform along with a large mixing bowl. First add the boiled and ground garbanzo beans into the bowl.

Next add the chopped fresh dill leaves, ginger, garlic, onions, oats, chaat masala, salt to the ground garbanzo beans in the bowl.
TIP : While seasoning with salt remember that chaat masala has some salt in it already. I did not add any salt because I used masala oats, which already has salt in it enough for the perfect seasoning.

Using your all important fingers bring the contents in the bowl all together by exerting a slight pressure with your palms.

Add the sweet potatoes and knead it into the mixture in the bowl. By this time your mixture should have the consistency of a soft dough. 

Finally add the apricot and chopped chilies and incorporate them into the mixture by mixing lightly.

4) Take a little bit of the mixture in your palm. The mixture should now not be crumbly nor sticky.

TIP: If it's too crumbly or sticky you will find it difficult to shape the mixture into balls. If you think the mixture is crumbly add a little boiled sweet potato to it. If it's sticky add oats to the mixture. 

Apply light pressure to the small sized mixture you have just taken and press it between your fingers to give it a shape.

Give the vegan meatball mixture the shape of a sphere. It should be about the size of a lemon. 

Make sphere shaped vegan meatballs with the entire mixture. It should yield 15 vegan meatballs approximately. Arrange all the vegan meatballs on a dish ready to use.

5) Take a paniyaram pan (a pan with circular cavities in it) . Add a few drops of oil into each cavity.

When the oil is hot, place the garbanzo beans meatballs, one each in each cavity of the paniyaram pan.

TIP: I have used the paniyaram pan, for frying the garbanzo beans meatballs, so that minimal oil is used to fry them. You can deep fry, air fry or even bake these vegan meatballs.

Once the vegan meatballs turn golden brown on one side, turn them over, then around till they become evenly golden brown allover. 

TIP : Start the frying with a high heat and then reduce to medium and again high towards the end. These vegan meatballs should not take more than 5~7 minutes to be done completely, since they are almost precooked.

Once fully done they have this light crunch on the outside and melting softness within.

Transfer the vegan meatballs into a wok and drizzle the sauce of your choice over it. Nicely coat  each meatball with the sauce and serve as a yummy appetizer.

Serve these bit sized yumminess at your house parties, kids play dates, or Super Bowl Appetizer(which is just round the corner ) and enjoy. Don't forget to pair these with my mouthwatering Pomegranate and Jalapeno Chutney.