Spiced Lentil & Seitan Balls

So good! Yesterday I tried frying half of these in a pan, but even though they tasted good, they didn't fully cook through. So today I decided to bake the other half in the oven with a bit of oil at 200°C (top and bottom heat) for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. They turned out perfectly crispy and chewy. Best "meatballs" I've ever made. So if anyone is having problems with this one, I really recommend the oven method.

Sadly, this recipe turned out really gummy for me. I made sure not to over mix the vital gluten flour and I cooked each ball until it was crispy on the outside. But when I ate this, the center of each ball was so gummy I couldn’t even eat them. I really love the recipes on this app so this was my first miss here.

PUL Team - May 25, 2025, 4:41 a.m.

Sorry to hear they turned out gummy inside, Jun. The texture is meant to be chewy, but definitely not overly gummy. We’ve taken your feedback to heart and made a couple updates to the directions: 1) we now say pulse instead of blend, since even a little extra mixing can make the texture too dense, and 2) we added a short resting step before shaping, which helps the gluten relax and makes the texture less gummy.

Since you already made sure not to overmix (which is great!), another thing to check is the amount of wheat gluten used. If possible, weighing it (rather than using cups) gives the most accurate result. If using cup, try spooning it in lightly and leveling it off without packing it down. Another thing to keep in mind is pan temperature. If the pan gets too hot, the outside might brown before the inside has a chance to fully firm up. Lowering the heat a bit can help it cook more evenly.

Thanks again for your thoughtful comment - it really helps us improve! <3

Jun Yi - June 3, 2025, 8:02 p.m.

Thanks for listening to my feedback!

I actually halved the size of the balls and then breaded the outside which really helped with the gummy texture. Next time I’ll try reducing the amount of wheat gluten and weighing it instead of using the measuring cups. The flavor profile of this was still delicious so once I figure out the texture, I’m sure it will be a winner.

So delicious and actually easy to make. I also baked them and they turned out great. They seemed a little underdone in the center but tasted very good and the outside was crispy. I baked them for about 25 minutes in the fan assisted setting at 200 degrees Celsius.
I served them with rice, a yogurt sauce and a salad with tomato, cucumber and parsley. So delicious and healthy too 🥰

Mine turned out great and not gummy. Maybe it depends on the vital gluten brand?
Served them with roasted bell peppers and tatziki and sourdough bread on the side :)

Margarita Kuzina - April 28, 2025, 5:55 p.m.

And i made them in the air fryer! Worked well

PUL Team - April 28, 2025, 9:22 p.m.

So glad to hear they turned out great for you, Margarita! It could vary depending on the brand of vital wheat gluten. Your pairing with roasted peppers, tzatziki, and sourdough sounds amazing 🤌

Wondering if baking would work as well?

PUL Team - April 18, 2025, 11:38 p.m.

Hey Ania! We haven’t had a chance to try baking them ourselves yet, but Caramella did leave a lovely review after baking them 🤗

Made these with urad daal and used herbes de Provence, and these are delicious as a fake meat alternative that is budget friendly and kid friendly. Would like to make the original recipe but my kids can't handle heat.

PUL Team - April 4, 2025, 4:23 a.m.

Ooo what a lovely idea, Erica, thanks for sharing the twist 🤗

This was an absolute banger and will definitely be a staple in this house hold. I'd compare the consistency of the balls to falafel but smooth - I wouldn't call it doughy but definitely not meatball-like.

I have made this several times and it is delicious and also really easy to make. Even my non vegan partner loves it! Thank you!

oh this was very good, the meatballs are really good for meal prep and can be dded to a lot of dishes

I really like the texture of seitan but the gumminess of this was next level. I am very confident I did not over mix, but I do recommend cooking this longer than 5-7 mins, and maybe even making smaller balls. Not my favourite and won’t make again but it was different!

PUL Team - March 1, 2025, 5:07 p.m.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Sonya! Cooking them longer and making smaller portions could definitely help with the texture. We hope you enjoy our other recipes more 🫶

Me gustó la combinación de las albohondigas con el chimichurri. Cocinar las albohondigas fue algo complicado para mi, porque por dentro siempre se sentían chiclosas. No creo que repita esta receta

I love this recipe. The seitan balls were nice, only I think I over mixed the dough a little bit. The sauce made this dish amazing! Definitely something I will make again :)

This dish felt so fresh and summery!
I did a few tweaks and was super happy with the result. I baked the balls and sprayed them with sunflower oil to keep them lower in fat. They turned out not chewy at all which was perfect.
I also added less olive oil to the sauce and it worked well.
I paired it with quinoa 😋

PUL Team - Jan. 13, 2025, 6:21 p.m.

Thanks a bunch for taking the time to share your experience with the recipe, Caramella! Love the idea of pairing it was quinoa as well.

Is this supposed to be soft and squishy inside or did I possibly overmix or not cook enough? I replaced the brown lentils with black Beluga lentils.
Love

PUL Team - Jan. 7, 2025, 6:24 p.m.

Hey Palmchord, the texture inside should be soft and tender, but if it’s too squishy, it could be due to overmixing or not enough cooking time. It's best to weigh the gluten, or if using cup measures, to gently spoon and level to ensure it's not overpacked. Black Beluga lentils might also contribute a slightly different texture, but we also recommend using the same weight as the lentils they replace and not a direct cup to cup substitution 🤗

I was really excited about this recipe, but I don't have Vital Wheat in my area. I used Almond flour instead and it was an epic fail. The balls were very sticky and fell apart into a sludgy mess while cooking in the oil.

PUL Team - Jan. 5, 2025, 12:58 a.m.

Hey Michael, aw thank you for sharing your experience. Almond flour can’t replace vital wheat gluten in this recipe because it lacks the gluten needed to provide structure and elasticity. Gluten forms a stretchy matrix that holds the balls together whereas almond flour doesn’t have these binding properties, resulting in a sticky, crumbly texture. If it helps, we ordered our vital wheat gluten online 🙂

Nope, not for me. The texture was horrible. Too chewy. Couldn’t eat it. I don’t like the homemade seitan for the same reason so this was probably always going to be a non-starter for me😂. BUT I absolutely loved the chimichuri sauce with yoghurt and ate that instead 😋
The lentil spice mixture was delicious 👍

PUL Team - Jan. 5, 2025, 2:45 a.m.

Hey Louise, sorry to hear the texture wasn’t for you. This one definitely resembles the homemade seitan. We're glad you enjoyed the chimichurri sauce with yogurt though, and hope you enjoy our other recipes more!

Much appreciated dish, especially the combination with the chimichurri sauce….mmmmm!
I added a vegetable tomato sauce and rice to make it a full main course. The kids loved it.

So delicious! So quick to make too, I used an air fryer and it made it so easy

Insanely good! It's perfect. I feel like I'm eating at a restaurant. Thanks a lot!

Absolutely scrumptious! Warm, spiced, and fairly simple to make.