Fonio Balls in Peanut Sauce
New to fonio? This recipe is the perfect place to start! It features tender fonio balls infused with warm spices and cooked in the creamiest coconut peanut butter sauce! It's hearty, rich, and packed with bold flavors!
Ingredients
Fonio Balls
- 1/2 cup (100 g) uncooked fonio
- 1 and 1/4 cup (300 ml) water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (18 g) quick oats or rolled oats
- 1/4 tsp harissa paste
- 1/4 large onion finely diced
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp (14 g) tomato paste
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp each: paprika and coriander
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp salt
Coconut Peanut Sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 small carrot peeled and finely diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1 13.5-ounce can (1 400-ml can) full-fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup (80 g) peanut butter
- 1/4 cup (30 g) roasted peanuts (optional)
- 1 tbsp (14 g) tomato paste
- 1 tsp (5 g) sugar
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- fresh cilantro for topping
Instructions
Fonio Balls
- Preheat the oven to
350 °F (175°C). - Toast the fonio. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the fonio and toast for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Cook it. Add the water and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until all liquid has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes.
- Process. Transfer the cooked fonio to the bowl of a food processor. Add the oats, harissa paste, minced onion, garlic, tomato paste, spices, and salt. Process for about 10 seconds, scraping down the sides regularly until everything is well combined and the mixture is sticky enough to form balls. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Shape balls. Scoop out about 1.5 tablespoons of the mixture using a cookie scoop. Roll it between your palms to form a smooth ball. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining mixture. You should end up with about 12 balls.
- Brush with oil. Lightly coat each ball with oil using a pastry brush.
- Bake. Bake the fonio balls for 15 minutes, flipping them once halfway through the baking process. In the meantime, prepare the sauce.
Coconut Peanut Sauce
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced onion, garlic, and grated ginger. Sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the vegetables. Next, add the diced carrots and red bell peppers, and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the carrots are tender.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Pour in the coconut milk, peanut butter, roasted peanuts, tomato paste, sugar, chili powder, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 1 minute.
- Toss the balls with the sauce. Transfer the fonio balls to the sauce and stir to coat. Cook for 2-5 minutes, stirring regularly to coat the balls with the sauce. Garnish with red pepper flakes and fresh cilantro and serve immediately with white rice!
- You can store these fonio balls in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Forget about the low-calorie option!
The sauce in this dish is rich, and that's what makes it taste so good! I do not recommend reducing the amount of peanut butter or using light coconut milk. Sure, you might save a few calories, but you will miss out on that velvety-smooth consistency and depth of flavor.Adjust the spices.
Since these balls pack a ton of spices, I understand that you might not have every single one on hand. Nothing is really set in stone when it comes to seasoning, so feel free to mix things up! You can even skip the spices you don't like or add your favorites.Air-fry instead of baking.
Don't feel like turning on the oven? Instead of baking, you can air-fry the balls for about 12 minutes in a 350°F (175°C) preheated air fryer.Thin the sauce.
If the sauce is too thick for your liking, you can thin it out by adding about 1/2 cup of water. You will also need to add a pinch of salt to balance out the extra liquid.Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 590 kcal | Carbohydrates: 49.8 g | Protein: 14.5 g | Fat: 41.6 g | Saturated Fat: 3.2 g | Potassium: 308 mg | Fiber: 5.5 g | Sugar: 7.8 g | Calcium: 51 mg | Iron: 6 mg
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