Spanish chickpea balls

Serves:  6 at home or 30 tastes in the kitchen

Fresh from the garden: coriander, garlic, lemon, parsley, silverbeet, tomato

Recipe source: Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

• metric measuring scales,
• cups and spoons
• non-slip mat
• cook’s knife
• chopping board
• zester
• bowls – 1 large, 1 small
• fork
• mortar and pestle
• food processor
• mixing spoon
• large saucepan
• 2 large frying pans
• tongs
• kitchen paper
• serving platters

• 720 g cooked chickpeas
• 5 garlic cloves
• zest of a lemon
• 3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 small handful of parsley
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp olive oil

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 6 tomatoes or 1 cup passata
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1½ cups Vegetable Stock
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 silverbeet leaves
• 1 small handful of coriander
• 2 tbsp natural yoghurt

• Set out your equipment and ingredients.

Make the chickpea balls

• Dry roast the cumin seeds in a small frying pan until fragrant then tip into the mortar.  Dry roast the coriander seeds in a small frying pan until fragrant then tip into the mortar. Finely grind the spices with the pestle.
• Peel and finely chop the garlic.
• Zest the yellow rind from the lemon using a zester.
• Finely chop the parsley and set aside.
• Mince the chickpeas with the mortar and pestle or in the food processor until soft, but with chunks.
• Put the minced chickpeas, garlic, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, spices, parsley and eggs into the large bowl. Combine them using your hands, gradually adding 1 tbsp of olive oil.
• Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls and refrigerate them while making the sauce.

Make the sauce

• Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic.
• Finely chop the tomatoes, in using fresh.
• Finely chop the silverbeet  and coriander leaves.
• Add the olive oil and onion to the saucepan and cook over a medium—high heat for 2–3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and stock. Let the sauce simmer gently for 8–10 minutes.
• Set up the two frying pans to cook the chickpea balls. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in each frying pan.
• Cook the balls over a medium heat in two or three batches, tossing in the pan occasionally, until golden all over.
• Add the chickpea balls and cayenne pepper to the sauce and allow to gently simmer for a further 5–10 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly and the flavour is rich and spicy.
• Remove from heat and toss through silverbeet and herbs. Add a dollop of yoghurt to the sauce before serving on platters to share.