This dish is an obvious vegetarian version of "Spaghetti with Meat balls" but no less tasty than the meat version. I had a thought for this dish from a long time but could finally make this last weekend. Making Spaghetti dish is very easy and this is one of the simplest recipes for spaghetti. Naveen and I both love pasta dishes so most of our brunches are pastas.
This dish is a lot healthier than the meat balls version not only because of calories but because of the other health benefits you get from veggies, mainly from tomato sauce. Tomatoes are one of the world's healthiest foods and rich in vitamins and minerals. They are good for skin and bone health. They are also known to prevent cancer. It is an excellent source of Vitamin C, beta-carotene, manganese and Vitamin E. Now, we do have to consider the calories at some point of time right? They are only 18 calories in 100 grams of tomatoes. How good is that? /:)
I got the Veggie balls idea from the Indian dish "Malai kofta" , a curry with veggie balls which are made of potatoes, paneer and few other vegetables. The tomato sauce I have made is a simple Italian spaghetti sauce (with some green chillies) and it is the most delicious sauce you will ever taste. You will need both tomato puree and chopped tomatoes but you can skip any one of them. I have baked the balls to make it a "less-fat" dish but you can deep fry them if you like it that way.
| Nutritional Information (Approx) (per serving) | |||
| Energy | 250 | Calories | |
| Fat | 4 | % | |
| Carbohydrates | 18 | % | |
| Dietary Fiber | 21 | % | |
| Sodium | 20 | % | |
| Vitamin A | 16 | % | |
| Vitamin C | 52 | % | |
| Calcium | 2 | % | |
| Iron | 5 | % | |
| Protein | 9.9 | Grams | |
| Sugar | 2.8 | Grams | |
| Ingredients: For veggie balls | |
| Potato | 1 large |
| Peas | 1/4 cup |
| Gram flour | 1/2 cup |
| Corn flour | 1 teaspoon |
| Salt | to taste |
| Chilli powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Coriander leaves chopped | 1/4 cup |
| Oil | 2 teaspoons |
| Ingredients for sauce | |
| Oil | 2 teaspoons |
| Onion finely chopped | 1 small |
| Bell pepper finely chopped | 1 small |
| Green chillies finely chopped | 2 |
| Tomato finely chopped | 1 |
| Tomato Puree | 2 tablespoons |
| Water | 1 cup |
| Salt | to taste |
| Dried Oregano and basil (optional) | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Ingredients for Spaghetti | |
| A pot of water | to boil spaghetti |
| Salt | 3 teaspoons |
| Oil | 1 teaspoon |
* Cook, peel and mash the potato. Also cook peas in a small pot of water and drain it.
* Mix Gram flour, corn flour, Mashed potato, salt, chilli powder, coriander leaves and cooked peas.
* Roll the dough into small balls and place them on a baking place lined with aluminium foil. Preheat oven to 320 F. Drizzle oil on the balls and bake them at 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes until they are crispy.
* In a pot, heat oil and add finely chopped onion, bell pepper and Green chillies. Fry till the raw smell of Onion and bell pepper stops.
* Add chopped Tomatoes and salt. Cook on a low flame until tomato chunks turn soft and mushy.
* Add tomato puree and water. mix and boil for 8-10 minutes under low flame.
* Also check if the Veggie balls are baked enough. If yes, take them out from oven and let them cool. You can even serve them with a dip. They taste delicious.
* Boil a pot of water and add 3 teaspoons of salt. Place the spaghetti carefully in boiling water (Make sure the spaghetti is covered with water)
* Cook for 5-7 minutes or as per the package directions. When it is cooked enough, drain water and drizzle some olive oil/vegetable oil.
* To serve, Place pasta on serving plate and then put the crispy Veg balls. Pour the hot sauce over Veggie balls and serve.
* You can drizzle butter on cooked spaghetti for extra creaminess.
* You can replace Basil and oregano with a handful of chopped coriander leaves.
* You can also add Carrots and other veggies to the sauce.
* Make sure the sauce is hot since spaghetti and balls are served warm.
