Meatballs in whatever shape or form, and meatless or not, are not usually considered to be the latest thing. But they are like old friends, familiar and comforting, and, as such, I’ve been wanting to make a plausible vegan- (and tofu-) based one for some time. A little joyful nugget that could be taken in any direction, from Swedish köttbullar to Vietnamese bun cha. And here it is: I’ve flavoured the balls with a vegetarian sambal oelek, a zingy chilli sauce and one of my favourite ingredients, and drenched them in a lemongrass coconut curry sauce to put some heat in your belly and a snap in your step.Tofu meatballs in lemongrass curryYou’ll need a food processor and a blender.Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hrServes 4450g firm tofu, drained100g dried breadcrumbs6 tbsp sambal oelek – I like Lucullus½ tsp ground white pepper
8 lemongrass stalks (160g), trimmed and roughly chopped (80g net)8 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped4cm x 4cm piece fresh ginger
8 makrut lime leaves, deveined and roughly chopped6 tbsp rapeseed oil
400ml tin coconut milk
