I love smaller batches of food, because it’s just my husband and me at home most of the time, but you can easily double this recipe if you have to feed more than two people.
Also, if your harissa paste is particularly spicy or if you are a bit of a spice wuss (nothing wrong with that), you can replace 1 tablespoon (21 g) of harissa paste with 1 tablespoon (17 g) of double-concentrated tomato paste. —CS
MAKES 14 CROQUETTES
4 oz (113 g) tempeh, crumbled
2 tbsp (42 g) harissa paste
1 generous tbsp (17 ml) grapeseed oil or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup (4 g) fresh minced cilantro or scallion greens
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp fine sea salt
Juice of ½ medium lemon (about 2 tbsp [30 ml])
¼ cup (30 g) vital wheat gluten
½ cup (32 g) panko breadcrumbs
Nonstick cooking spray or oil spray
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, place the tempeh, harissa, oil, garlic, cilantro, garam masala, salt and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Add the gluten and breadcrumbs on top and start mixing with a spatula. Then switch to using your hand to gather the mixture together. It should be moist and stick together well when pinched. Gather 1 slightly heaping, packed tablespoon (25 g) of mixture to shape the dough into rounds. Place the croquette onto the prepared sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture. You should get 14 croquettes in all, but the yield will vary. Wrap the parchment paper over the croquettes and fold them to close. Flip the package upside down and place them back onto the sheet. Baking the croquettes this way will allow them to remain tender.
Bake the croquettes wrapped for 20 minutes. Then remove the wrap, lightly coat with the spray and bake another 6 minutes. Let them stand 5 minutes before serving with the sauce.
*SEE PHOTO INSERT