Raw Vegan Koftas with Minted Cashew Yogurt

These kofta are entirely raw and vegan, seasoned beautifully with a range of spices. Serve with the raw minted cashew yoghurt and a little red kraut. This recipe is so simple to make, but does require time in the dehydrator.

Ingredients

Koftas

• 1 cup walnuts
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup soaked and sprouted buckwheat*
• ½ cup organic, sun dried tomatoes (no added oil/spices)
• 2 Medjool dates, pitted
• Zest of half a lemon
• 2 teaspoons miso paste, darker the better
• 2 teaspoons nama shoyu (raw soy sauce, or use tamari)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1½ teaspoons rosemary, dried
• 1 heaped tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• A very scant ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• To Serve: Fermented red cabbage/beets, pistachio and fresh herbs and whitloaf/radicchio leaves, to serve in

Minted Cashew Yogurt

• ½ cup raw cashews
• 5 tablespoons water
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 pinches coarse sea salt
• 6 good sized fresh mint leaves

Instructions

Koftas

1. A few hours before you are ready to start making the kofta (2-4 hours), soak the walnuts, sunflower seeds, sundried tomatoes and dates in water to soften them.
2. If you haven’t the time to properly soak and sprout buckwheat (this can be a three day process), then prepare them the same way you would the nuts and seeds, however, soaking and sprouting will give a much softer texture.
3. After the soaking time is over, rinse and drain nuts, seeds, dates and buckwheat. Place in a food processor. Only add half the sundried tomatoes at this point – blending the rest in last gives a great texture.
4. Add all other ingredients and blend till well combined, almost like a paste.
5. Add the remainder sun dried tomatoes for a final blend.
6. Roll into small little logs, about a tablespoon of mixture each. Insert bamboo skewers if you have them.
7. Place on a dehydrator teflex sheet and dehydrate for two hours at a slightly higher temp (135˚F) then turn down to 115˚F for another six hours.
8. Serve each kofta inside a whitloaf leaf, with the raw minted cashew yoghut (see recipe below) and a little of the cabbage/beet ferment, crushed pistachios and fresh herbs.

Minted Cashew Yogurt

1. Soak the cashews in ample water for a few hours (2-5 hours), then drain and rinse.
2. Add cashews and all other ingredients (including those 5 tablespoons of water) to a blender, whiz till creamy.
3. Serve with koftas and keep in the fridge.

Notes

*Alternatively, simple soak in ample water for a few hours, then rinse and drain very well before use.