Vegan Japanese Eggplant No-Meatballs
Course: Sides, AppetizersCuisine: Asian, AmericanDifficulty: MediumServings
20
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
30
minutesIngredients
- Eggplant Meatballs
1 large eggplant, cut into cubes
¼ cup old fashioned oats
1 cup cooked rice
1 8-oz can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
¼ – ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, as needed
10oz extra firm tofu, pressed and finely crumbled
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp tamari or soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch piece ginger, chopped
2 scallions/green onion, whites finely sliced
2-3 tbsp. sunflower or peanut oil, to fry
- Teriyaki Sauce
¼ cup mirin
¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp grated ginger
1-2 tbsp. raw sugar
¼ cup water
- To Serve
cooked quinoa
thinly sliced red cabbage
thinly sliced carrots
green onion
sesame seeds
Directions
- Add 3 inches of water to a saucepan and place eggplant cubes in a steamer. Place steamer on top of saucepan, and bring to a simmer over high heat.
- Reduce heat and steam eggplant for about 10 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Once cool, transfer eggplant to a food processor. Add in cooked rice, old fashioned oats, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and tamari/soy sauce. Pulse until mixture comes together but is still slightly textured.
- Pour mixture in a large bowl and add in crumbled tofu, sliced scallions, diced water chestnuts, and panko breadcrumbs. Stir to combine with a large spoon. Add more breadcrumbs as needed.
- Line a large tray with wax paper and roll mixture into golf-ball sized balls. Place on prepared tray and chill for about 30 minutes.
- Combine grated ginger, miring, tamari/soy sauce, sugar, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry no-meatballs, in batches of 6-8 for 6 minutes each.
- Place cooked no-meatballs in a warm oven (200F/95C) while you cook the rest.
- Serve with prepared teriyaki sauce over quinoa with red cabbage, carrots, green onions, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy!
