Soy meatballs with stir fried vegetables

Salads are the best way to include vegetables in our diet. When vegetables are stir fried with other additions like meatballs and sauces, they make the dish tastier and more nutritious.

There are many dishes that include meatballs as a main ingredient. I tried many substitutes to get a similar effect but not satisfied with any of those. In my search for a good veggie meatball, I landed on Textured Vegetable Protein(TVP). It was a discovery that satisfied me with its texture and taste.

TVP is produced from soy flour after soybean oil has been extracted. It is then cooked under pressure, extruded and dried. TVP is an excellent source of protein and fiber.  It has zero cholesterol, low in sodium and has almost no fat, says the label. TVP makes an excellent substitute for meat in sauces, soups, stews, burgers and chilli. It is quick to cook and claims to have more protein content than meat.

Stir fried vegetables is an interesting way to make vegetables appealing and desirable. When oil in a Wok gets smoking hot it imparts a magic touch to fried vegetables! The crunch of these vegetables helps them complement the chewiness of the meatballs.

I like meatballs to be a bit spicier so I added green chillies. Adding chilli flakes is a good option to control the heat. I used sesame oil to fry onion and garlic to flavour the soy, in addition to frying vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1 cup TVP
• 1/2 onion chopped onion
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 green chillies
• salt
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tbsp flax seed powder in a little water or 1 egg
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped green peppers
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp honey garlic sauce.
• 1 tsp soy sauce

 Soy meatballs

1.  Rehydrate TVP by pouring 7 cups boiling water over 1 cup TVP.
2. Soak it for 5-10 minutes and drain water.
3. Fry onion and green chillies in a little sesame oil.
4. Add fried onion, chillies and flax seed mix to drained soy protein.
5. Coat it in corn flour and place them on a greased baking tray
6. Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes and take them out.
7. Brush with honey garlic sauce and return to oven and bake until the outside browns.

Honey, garlic glazed vegetable ‘meatballs’.

Stir fry

1. Heat sesame oil in a wok and add chopped carrots and later, green bell pepper.
2. Cook stirring frequently to get a crunchy texture.
3. Stir in soy sauce, honey garlic sauce and veggie meatballs.
4. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
5. Serve it hot.

These meatballs had the texture of meat and had none of the bland taste of soy protein. They absorbed all the flavour from the sauces. When I quizzed my son on what meat he thought it was, he guessed it was pork. It is nearly impossible to differentiate it from meat because of that dense texture.

Honey garlic glazed vegetables with veggie meatballs is a simple side dish that can pair well with rice noodles or pasta. It is a very versatile dish that can go with a nice hunk of crusty bread. Veggie meatballs can be a simple vegetarian appetizer or added to enhance soups.