Sticky Sesame Vegan Meatballs (with Peanuts + Lentils)

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients, stir until well combined and set aside.

In a food processor, process the peanuts until a ground-meat-like consistency is achieved. Set aside.

In a medium pot, add 1 tbsp. olive oil and gently cook onions and garlic on medium heat for 5 minutes. Stirring frequently to prevent burning.

To the pot, add salt and pepper. Stir until all the onions and garlic are coated with the seasoning. Cook down the onions for 5 minutes before adding the lentils, chickpeas or rice to the pot.

Remove the lentil mixture from the pot and gently pulse in the same food processor (you can also use a hand blender) until a crumble develops.

Transfer the lentil mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl. To the bowl, add the peanuts and remaining ingredients. Stir until well combined. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove “meat” from the refrigerator and form “meatballs.” I used a 1 1/2 tbsp. ice cream scoop to measure the size. I then rolled them and placed them on the baking sheet. Cook for 20-25 minutes total, flipping and turning at least twice to avoid any burning. After 10 minutes, remove the “meatballs” and lightly coat with 1/4 of the sauce. Just before the balls are completely cooked, add another 1/4 of the sauce and cook for 5 minutes.

Serve with white rice, sesame seeds, green onions, peanuts and as much sauce as desired.