Pumpkin Balls with Tomato Sauce

Pumpkin Balls

Ingredients:

• 250g pumpkin, skin intact, seeded, and cut into smallish pieces;

• about 1/2 cup of olive oil;

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock;

• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped;

• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic;

• 1/2 cup sushi rice;

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped sage;

• 2 tablespoons Besan flour;

• vegetable oil, to deep-fry;

• pepper & salt to taste;

• 1 teaspoon each nutmeg and cinnamon;

• about 2 cups of cornflour for coating;

• Fine breadcrumbs or rice crumbs for coating;

• 4 tablespoons ground flax seeds soaked in 2 cups of water for coating.

Method: Roll the pumpkin pieces in oil, place them on a tray and bake them in the oven or grill, turning often till tender and lightly browned. While pumpkin is cooking, put sushi rice with the stock. Separately fry the onion in the remaining oil till transparent, then add it to the cooked rice. Skin and mash the pumpkin, add sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic and rice, add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the Besan flour. Dampen hands and form a little ball. If the mix doesn't hold its shape add rice or breadcrumbs, leave ten minutes and form another little ball. The moisture in the pumpkin will depend on the vegetable itself, so if the mix still doesn't hold its shape, add a few more fine breadcrumbs. Refrigerate an hour, then using dam hands, fashion mix into bite-sized balls, coating as you roll in bread or rice crumbs. Return to fridge and leave the mix to marry for about an hour or till ready to use, I sometimes prepare the day before I use it. When ready to cook, take three bowls, add cornflour to one, bread or rice crumbs to another and liquid flax mix in the other. Roll the mix into little balls, pop a few pine-nut seeds in the centre, seal over well. Evenly coat in cornflour, dip into the flax and water liquid, roll in the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil till absolutely hot, ladle in the Pumpkin Balls, fry until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with Tomato Sauce.

Vegan Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup tomato paste

• 1 cup water

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 1//2 tablespoons lime juice

• 1 scant dessert spoon crushed garlic

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• big pinch of cayenne pepper

• 4 tablespoons of shelled pumpkin seeds

Method: Blend all ingredients except pumpkin seeds, serve hot garnished with the pumpkin seeds.