Oriental Chickpea Balls

Ingredients

• 800 g Cooked and drained chickpeas (Use canned chickpeas or homemade cooked ones)
• 1 unit Red onion (Finely diced)
• 2 tablespoon Tomato paste
• 100 g Breadcrumbs
• 2 unit Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Ras el hanout
• 0.5 teaspoon Ground cumin
• 0.5 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
• 30 g Fresh chopped parsley (A good handful)
• to taste Salt
• to taste Black pepper
• 3 tablespoon Olive oil (For brushing the balls and cooking the sauce)
• 400 g Tomato pulp (crushed tomatoes) (One 400 g can)
• 2 unit Garlic cloves (Crushed)
• 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
• 150 g Mozzarella (Cut into small dice)

Instructions

1. Prepare the ingredients

   Rinse the cooked chickpeas, drain them. Finely dice the red onion and chop the fresh parsley.

   Time: PT5M

2. Blend the ball mixture

   In the blender bowl, add the chickpeas, diced onion, tomato paste, breadcrumbs, eggs, ras el hanout, cumin, cinnamon, parsley, salt and pepper. Blend for a few seconds, without overworking, until you obtain a mixture with a few visible pieces.

   Time: PT3M

3. Shape the balls

   Using an ice‑cream scoop, take about 35 g of mixture and roll between the palms to form round balls. Repeat until you have 24 balls.

   Time: PT7M

4. Brush with olive oil

   Place the balls on a baking sheet and lightly brush them with olive oil using a brush.

   Time: PT2M

5. Preheat the oven

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C on convection mode.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: 180°C

6. Bake the balls

   Put the balls in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning them halfway through to brown evenly.

   Time: PT25M

   Temperature: 180°C

7. Prepare the tomato sauce

   While the balls bake, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a saucepan. Add the remaining diced red onion and sauté for 5 minutes over high heat, stirring often. Stir in the tomato pulp, crushed garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix then let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring regularly until thickened.

   Time: PT20M

8. Remove the balls from the oven

   When the balls are golden, take them out of the oven and let them warm for 2 minutes.

   Time: PT2M

9. Plate the dish

   In a deep plate, place a few tablespoons of hot tomato sauce, add the mozzarella dice so they melt slightly, drizzle with a little olive oil, arrange the balls and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

   Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

921

Protein

50 g

Carbohydrates

114 g

Fat

20 g

Fiber

24 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Cooked and drained chickpeas: white beans, cooked lentils
• Instead of Red onion: white onion, shallot
• Instead of Tomato paste: tomato purée
• Instead of Breadcrumbs: panko, crushed dry biscuits
• Instead of Eggs: mashed potatoes (as binder), silken tofu
• Instead of Ras el hanout: Moroccan spice blend
• Instead of Ground cumin: ground coriander
• Instead of Ground cinnamon: nutmeg powder
• Instead of Fresh chopped parsley: fresh coriander
• Instead of Olive oil: canola oil
• Instead of Tomato pulp (crushed tomatoes): peeled fresh tomatoes
• Instead of Garlic cloves: garlic powder (½ tsp)
• Instead of Dried oregano: herbes de Provence
• Instead of Mozzarella: feta, soft goat cheese

Equipment Needed

• Blender or food processor
• Blender bowl
• Kitchen knife
• Cutting board
• Ice‑cream scoop
• Kitchen brush
• Baking sheet
• Convection oven
• Saucepan
• Wooden spatula
• Deep plate for serving (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Do not over‑blend the mixture to retain a slightly grainy texture.
• Observe the 180 °C temperature and cooking time to get golden balls without drying them out.
• Simmer the sauce long enough (≈15 min) for it to thicken and develop flavors.

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use high‑quality ras el hanout for an authentic aroma.
• Lightly sprinkle sumac on the balls before serving for a tangy touch.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the cooked balls in an airtight container 3‑4 days.

Freezer: Raw balls can be frozen on a tray, then transferred to a freezer bag for 2‑3 months.

Room temperature: Do not leave at room temperature more than 2 hours.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Shape the balls and freeze them raw before cooking; they can be baked directly in the oven, adding 5 minutes to the cooking time.
• The tomato sauce can be prepared ahead of time and gently reheated before serving.