Zucchini meatballs with lime and chili sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g zucchini
• 2 eggs, size L to XL
• 100 g feta cheese
• 15 g mint
• 80 g breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg
• Oil for frying
• 1 lime(s), juice
• 250 g quark, 40% fat
• 1 chili pepper(s), red
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 2 tbsp ginger, freshly grated
• 1 tbsp raw cane sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 55 minutes

delicious finger food, vegetarian main course or great side dish

Wash the zucchini and finely grate it, including the skin. Place it in a sieve, sprinkle with salt, and let it stand for 15 minutes. Then rinse with cold water and squeeze the liquid thoroughly. While the zucchini is standing, dry-toast the breadcrumbs in a pan until golden brown. Be careful, at first it might seem like nothing is happening, but then it happens very quickly, and it might turn slightly black. Finely chop the mint with the stems and crumble the feta cheese. Mix the zucchini, eggs, toasted breadcrumbs, feta, and mint well and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Heat plenty of oil in a pan, shape the zucchini dough into small patties, coat in breadcrumbs, and fry until golden brown. Squeeze the lime and mix the juice with the remaining ingredients in a tall container using an immersion blender. Of course, you should be a little careful with the chilies – I used a single red chili, rated at 5 out of 10. You’ll have to adjust it to your own taste – if you like habanero peppers, you might want to use only half. Garlic and ginger are also a matter of taste, so you’ll have to experiment a bit – the amounts given here work out perfectly for me and my test eaters. These meatballs are delicious both hot and cold, making them perfect for picnics or as party favors.