Vegan Meatballs

Preheat the oven to 180˚C/Gas Mark 4 and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add sliced shallots and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic to the onion and sauté for 3-4 more minutes, until soft and starting to caramelise. 

In the meantime, finely chop the mushrooms either by hand or using a food processor. Add the mushrooms to the pan, along with the salt, and stir to coat them in oil. Cook for 12-14 minutes, until any liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms have halved in size. Add the cooked lentils, stir to combine, and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

Add the mushroom and lentil mixture to a food processor, along with the flour, mustard, miso paste, spices and black pepper. Mix for 1-2 minutes, until a smooth paste forms. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

Use wet hands to roll the mixture into balls, and place on the prepared baking tray - leaving a couple cm of space between each one.

Brush the meatballs with olive oil. Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes in total, rotating them around halfway through baking.

In the meantime, make the gravy. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 4-5 more minutes, until the onion is slightly caramelised. Add plant based milk, soy sauce, mustard, ground nutmeg and a pinch of black pepper and whisk together.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low. Simmer the gravy for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown. Use an immersion blender to blend the mixture for until smooth, around 30 seconds.

In a small bowl combine arrowroot with 2 tbsp water and mix to combine. With the saucepan still over heat, whisk the arrowroot mixture into the gravy. Simmer for 8-10 more minutes, until the gravy is thick and creamy. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste. 

Serve the meatballs over mashed potatoes and peas, and top with a ladleful of gravy. Sprinkle with dill.