BAKED SWEET POTATO AND MUNG BEAN CROQUETTES WITH PEANUTTY COCONUT SAUCE

BAKED SWEET POTATO AND MUNG BEAN CROQUETTES WITH PEANUTTY COCONUT SAUCE

By onegreenplanet.org - Kelly Williams

Croquettes:

400g/2 cups whole mung beans, ideally soaked overnight

1 pound sweet potatoes (about three medium-sized potatoes), peeled and roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup spring onions (scallions), chopped (measure after chopping)

1/2 red bell pepper, diced small

2 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds

1 to 2 tablespoons sambal oelek (depending on your heat tolerance)

1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce or gluten-free tamari

2-3 tablespoons coconut flour (or other gluten-free flour of choice)

Sauce:

180ml/3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk

57g/1/4 cup unsalted creamy natural peanut butter

2 teaspoon sambal oelek

1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Boil the sweet potatoes for about 15 minutes or until soft. At the same time, either boil or steam the mung beans. You can boil them right along with the sweet potatoes, or if you have a steamer pot set, steam them right on top of the potatoes.  When the sweet potatoes are soft, drain the pot and set them and the mung beans aside to cool.  While the mung beans and potatoes are cooking and subsequently cooling, chop the garlic, spring onions, and red bell pepper and set aside.  Next, make the sauce by whisking all five sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.  Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or oil it lightly (coconut oil works great here!).  When the potatoes and mung beans have cooled a bit, add all the sweet potatoes, all the garlic, and about half the mung beans to a food processor and pulse a few times.  Add half the remaining mung beans, pulse again, and then add the remaining mung beans.  Process until the sweet potatoes are fully mashed and most of the mung beans are incorporated into the mixture. It’s okay if some of the beans are still whole; you want a nice variation.  Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the scallions, red bell pepper, sesame seeds, sambal oelek, and soy sauce.  Mix until combined using a wooden spoon or plastic spatula. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut flour and mix again. Depending on how much sambal oelek you added, your mixture might need another tablespoon. The mixture should stick together easily but shouldn’t be dry—you want it just the tiniest bit sticky.  Using your hands, scoop about 1/4 cup of the mixture at a time and flatten it into patties about 3/4-inch thick. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet.  Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are beginning to brown. At that point, remove from the oven and spray or brush lightly with coconut oil, then broil for another 3-5 minutes, being sure not to burn them.  Remove from oven and let sit for at least five minutes before serving.  Top with coconut sauce, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and extra spring onions.