Meaty vegan meatballs in tomato sauce

Step 1

Rinse dried shiitake and cover with boiling water (weigh the shiitake down or else they will float) to soften. Keep immersed in water for as long as possible. I tend to use rehydrated mushrooms leftover from a mushroom stock.

Step 2

Heat up a bit of oil in a skillet and add roughly chopped shallots and garlic, fry gently for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Next add in sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms and sauté until fully cooked and there is no moisture in the pan, a little caramelisation is nice too.

Step 3

Cut off stems from rehydrated shiitake and discard them, slice the caps and add to the food processor together with all the remaining ingredients - if baking your meatballs use only 15 g / ¼ cup breadcrumbs. I recommend not adding chickpeas yet and processing them separately to retain a bit of texture (but that's optional).

Step 4

Process the mushroom mixture until everything is well chopped, transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Step 5

If you haven't already, add your chickpeas to the food processor and pulse a few times until processed but there is a bit of texture left.

Step 6

Add chickpeas to the mushroom mixture and incorporate them together well with your hands.

Step 7

Squeeze portions of the mixture in your palm to make it stick to itself and then roll into balls (mine were 20 g / ¾ oz each) in your hands.

Step 8

Chill the meatballs in the fridge for a few hours (overnight is best if you have time), especially if frying them.

Step 9

FRYING: Heat up a tablespoon of oil in a heavy skillet or pan and once the oil is hot, arrange chilled meatballs in a circle in a clockwise fashion. Give them a minute or two on one side, lift gently and fry on the other size until browned and crispy on the outside.

Step 10

BAKING: Preheat the oven to 180° C / 355° F. Brush a little bit of oil under each meatball and brush the tops with a little oil also. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, flipping them once halfway through. Use a flat spatula to gently prise them off the tray if they stick.

Step 11

Heat up olive oil in a large frying pan.

Step 12

Add diced onion and sauté until softened and translucent stirring regularly (about 5 minutes on a low heat).

Step 13

Add diced garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes, until fragrant, stirring very frequently.

Step 14

Next, add in plum tomatoes and squash them gently with a spatula before adding in a can's worth of water.

Step 15

Season with dried herbs, salt and pepper and a pinch of chilli flakes if you enjoy a little heat.

Step 16

Allow the sauce to bubble gently for about 45-60 minutes until the tomatoes break down completely and the sauce thickens. Keep an eye on the pan, giving it a stir now and then and top up with more water if the sauce is starting to look dry while the tomatoes are still too chunky.

Step 17

Once the sauce reaches the desired consistency, adjust the seasoning to your taste, adding a dash of sugar if the sauce tastes too acidic.