These eggplant meatballs are so good I made them twice in a row and was told they’re the best veggie meatballs I have made. They were inspired by these aubergine polpette, but adjusted to include the elements I prefer. They hold shape well and cook up crisp on the outside, soft on the inside – no dry and crumble meatballs here. They’re gluten free, nut free and vegan and can be served as part of buddha bowls, in a wrap or pita with loads of veggies and hummus or like I did here, on top a pile of couscous with tahini sauce and pomegranates.
I used a couscous from Spice and All things Nice which has pumpkin and sesame seeds and is a winner. I’ve mentioned before I love pomegranates and seeing as they’re in season they’re the perfect addition to this dish for that tart and crunchy kick; but if you cannot find them leave them out. The main thing is the eggplant meatballs, you choose how you want them served.
Eggplant “Meatballs” with Couscous and Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
Eggplant Meatballs
- 2 medium eggplant chopped into small pieces
- 1 red onion diced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed well
- 1 C fresh parsley
- 1/2 C chickpea flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Tahini Sauce
- 1/4 C tahini
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- salt and pepper to taste
To Serve
- 1 C couscous
- 1 C boiling water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pomegrante seeds only
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan and add the chopped eggplant and diced onion.
- Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, until soft. Remove and let cool
- Add cooked eggplant and onion along with the remaining meatball ingredients to a blender and pulse until it becomes a chunky and sticky mixture. Do not over blend.
- Add mixture to a bowl and place in the fridge for an hour. This helps it firm up and makes it easier to shape.
- Preheat the oven to 180C and grease a large baking sheet.
- Roll the meatball mixture into 1 tablespoon balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until nice and browned on the outside but still soft on the inside.
- While the eggplant meatballs are cooking make the tahini sauce and couscous.
- To make the couscous, add boiling water and couscous to a bowl, cover and let sit 5 minutes, remove the cover and fluff with a fork. Season according to taste. Alternatively follow the directions on the box.
- To make the tahini sauce, add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. If you want a thinner sauce, add more water.
- Serve the meatballs on top of couscous with a generous drizzle of tahini sauce and pomegranate seeds.
