Beluga Black Lentil balls with veggie ragu

Rohan Anderson - Whole Larder Love, Serves 4

Ingredients

Ragu
2-3 x zucchini fine chopped
2 x onion chopped
4 x garlic cloves diced
2 cups chopped tomato
1 cup red wine
1 tsp chili powder
1 cup water
4 rashes of bacon chopped
A handful of curly parsley chopped fine
Flat parsley (for Garnish)
Olive Oil (Mt Zero)
Jalapeno (to serve)

Lentil Balls
1 x cup Beluga lentils
2 x cup water
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1/5 cup toasted bread crumbs
1 x egg
Olive oil (Mt Zero)

Mt Zero pink salt


Method

Method: (Ragu)

Heat a generous glug of olive oil on a heavy fry pan

Brown the onions for five minutes, then add the zucchini, bacon and garlic and fry for a further 10 mins on medium heat.

Add the tomato, turn up the heat and squish the tomato to make a sauce

Pour in the wine, water, chill powder, chopped curly parsley, season with salt.

Turn the heat to low and simmer gently for an hour to reduce and concentrate flavours.

Method: (Balls)

Rinse lentils then soak for an hour in cold water, drain.

Pour the 2 cups of water, the drained lentils and the cumin into a pot and bring to a gentle simmer.

Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, add water if needed.

When soft, and the water has been absorbed, remove from heat and allow to cool.

Transfer lentils into food processor, add bread crumbs, thyme and egg and pulsate a few times. You don’t want a mush, just a little blend is required.

Form into balls and transfer to a paper-lined baking dish

Brush each ball with olive oil and crack over pink salt

Preheat oven 200C, bake balls for 30-40 mins until firm

When balls are ready, serve with a base of ragu, a dollop of natural yogurt, flat leaf partly and sliced jalapeño. 

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Rohan
"Most of my meals are designed to get my kids to eat them. They have to be tasty, and a little fun. This is one such meal. It’s not a meat substitute, far from it, there is meat in the ragu, it’s more so a meal that makes the most of the in season vegetables while providing nutritional goodness without the kids realising it. For me, this meal is a winner with the crisp and crunch of the balls, the moist and rich flavoured ragu and the joy of the spices. It’s a perfect meal for late summer and autumn when these veggies are abundant." Rohan

Recipe Ingredients from the Mount Zero Range

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