Eggplant Balls with spicy tamarind tomato chutney

From “Tenderheart” by Hetty Lui McKinnon

2 large eggplants (about 800 gms)

Garlic (1 – 10 cloves depending on what you like) – finely chopped

½ cup nutritional yeast

½ cup chopped soft herbs (parsley, dill, coriander, basil, rosemary etc)

3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

2 ½ cups breadcrumbs (made from wholegrain bread – I used sprouted ancient grain bread)

Method

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the eggplant and cook, uncovered for 10 -12 minutes – use a wooden spoon to press the eggplant into the water every so often to keep it submerged. Cook until tender. Drain and use a wooden spoon to press out excess water. Cut into inch (2.5cm) square cubes

In a bowl mix eggplant, garlic, nutritional yeast, herbs (egg), Dijon mustard, some salt and pepper and 1 ½ cups of the breadcrumbs. Using your hands roll the mix into golf ball sized balls and roll in breadcrumbs.  Shallow fry/ dry fry in a non-stick pan or cook in oven (tiny spray of oil is good).

Spicy Tamarind Tomato Chutney

2 large shallots or an onion

2 -4 garlic cloves fine chopped

2.5 cm ginger, grated

3 teaspoons black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

Red chilli flakes to taste

400gm can diced tomatoes

Salt 2 teaspoons white sugar

1 ½ cups water

Saute the chopped onion until transparent and soft (5 minutes). Add the garlic, ginger and mustard seeds and cook for a further few minutes. Add tamarind, chili and tomato, salt and sugar. Add the water and simmer until the vegetables are broken down and the mix in a jam like consistency (which may mean adding more water).