Vegan Moroccan Meatballs

To Make the Herby Buckwheat

1. Place a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to temperature. Add the buckwheat dry (no water) to the pan. Toast the buckwheat gently for a minute, swirling the pan often to make sure it doesn’t burn. Add the water and bouillon and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
2. Place a lid on the pan and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until the buckwheat is al dente.
3. Drain the buckwheat in a sieve of any remaining water (there shouldn’t be much) then return it to the saucepan (off the heat) and cover with a lid. Leave to steam for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the buckwheat to a medium bowl and allow it to cool fully. Once cooled, stir in the chopped herbs and lemon juice. Set aside.

To Make the Meatballs

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil and bring to temperature. Add the onion and garlic and fry for a few minutes until the onions are starting to turn translucent. Don’t let the garlic burn.
2. Add the spices and stir to combine. Leave to cook for a minute before adding the red/green pepper. Cook the pepper for a further few minutes before adding the tomatoes. Use your spatula to break up the tomatoes roughly.
3. Season the sauce with salt and pepper then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Allow the sauce to simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the tomatoes look mostly broken down.
4. Remove the lid and add the meatballs to the top of the sauce. Cover again and cook for a further 20 minutes with the meatballs in the sauce.
5. Check on the sauce. If it’s thick at this stage, it’s ready to serve. If it’s still rather thin, remove the lid and simmer for a further 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced.
6. Serve the meatballs with a few spoonfuls of herby buckwheat. Top the pomegranate seeds, fresh parsley, sumac, and chili flakes.