Chickpea Balls with Satay Sauce and Brown Rice

This is the sort of meal you can't stop eating more of, even when you feel full!

Rich in fibre, protein, manganese and iron, chickpeas are often considered a superfood. Bursting with antioxidants, they're low GI, gluten free and endlessly versatile, so our cupboards are always stocked with a constant supply! I use them to make tahini, curries, salads, burgers...the list goes on. They're perfect in this recipe because their mild, slightly nutty flavour ideally compliments the rich, sweet creaminess of the satay sauce.

Before you start:

Grind 3 tbsp of chia seeds. Place them in a bowl and stir in 9 tbsp of water. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. The mixture will thicken to a gel-like consistency. Just before incorporating into the recipe, stir in a pinch of baking powder.

Then make the chickpea balls:

Place the following ingredients in a vitamix/food processor and pulverise until smooth:

2 cans of chickpeas

3 chopped carrots

1 small red onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp of turmeric powder

1/3 tsp of chilli powder

1 tsp of sea salt

Put this mixture into a bowl. Add 1 cup of oats and the chia seed gel and thoroughly combine.

Take handfuls of the mixture and mould into small balls in the palm of your hand.

Place the balls onto a baking tray that's been lightly greased with coconut oil and bake on gas mark 7 for 20 minutes, turning half way.

This makes about 38 balls...but I cook for a family of 8! You can alter the amounts accordingly for your needs, or make the full amount and freeze some. I put leftover balls in the childrens' school lunch boxes with some vegan mayonnaise (recipe here) or tomato sauce.

While the chickpea balls are in the oven, cook some brown rice and make the satay sauce:

Place the following ingredients in a pan and heat gently while continually stirring:

2 cans of coconut milk

1 cup of homemade peanut butter (you can find my recipe here)

1/3 tsp of chilli powder

2 tbsp of agave syrup

1 tbsp of tamari sauce (I like Eden Foods organic tamari sauce as it's wheat free. You can use regular soya sauce if you don't have tamari though)

¼ tsp sea salt

Next, prepare the veggies:

Cut the following vegetables into strips and fry in a little coconut oil until softened:

1 green capsicum

1 red capsicum

2 brown onions

Now you're ready to serve!:

Place some rice in half the bowl and sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander.

Fill the other half of the bowl with satay sauce until it reaches 2/3 of the height of the rice. Place some of the veggies on top, and a few of the chickpea balls on top of that (I tend to serve 5 per adult).

Enjoy!