Sweet Potato Rice Balls with a soft cheeze filling… sounds delicious? Is delicious! If you’re looking for whole-hearted meals for lunch and dinner, this recipe is one to add to the list. Sweet potatoes are my absolute favourites, not only because they taste amazing but especially because they are loaded with nutrients. Did you know that sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, fiber and vitamin B1, B2 and B6? Such a winner! And in combination with brown rice, sweet corn, chia seeds and cashew moxarella cheeze, they are even better!
These sweet potato rice balls are:
Incredibly delicious
Filling
Crunchy from the outside
Soft and cheezy on the inside
Gluten-free
Wholesome
Oil-free
Because they are so tasty, they already have become a staple in our house. They are so versatile! I love to eat them on top of a huge salad with a creamy sauce or inside stews and curries – so good! For this specific dish I mixed up one of the best ever sauces: tahini-beetroot-mustard-maple. YUM! 🙂
I absolutely love this sauce and use it in all kinds of variations as a dipping sauce for my potato wedges, or dressing on buddha bowls and salads. I’ll leave the exact ration for the dressing in the recipe table down below, so make sure to try it! 🙂
In this recipe I used a rice cooker with an integrated steamer to save time, but, of course, you can also just use normal cooking pots to cook the rice and the sweet potatoes! I must say though, this rice cooker improved my cooking and time management in the kitchen by 200%. It’s so cheap in comparison to what you get and I can not recommend it enough!
If you decide to give these beauties a try, let me know! Leave a comment and rate it – it’s so helpful to me and other readers. And don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #thetastyk on Instagram! I love seeing what you come up with. Cheers and enjoy!
- For the sweet potato rice balls:
- 2 cups brown rice
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- ½ cup frozen sweet corn, defrosted
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 4 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- dash of black pepper
For the cashew moxarella:- Click here (I halved all the ingredients and got enough cashew cheeze for all balls plus a bit extra)
For the sauce:- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp beetroot juice or beetroot powder
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- water as needed
- Prepare the cashew moxarella and leave it in the fridge to cool down.
- Prepare the chia ‘eggs’ by placing 2 Tbsp of chia seeds into 4 Tbsp of water. Set aside and let them soak.Take out the frozen corn and let it defrost.
- Place the rice in a colander and rinse the rice properly until the water comes out clear.
- Place the rice with the needed amount of water in your rice cooker.
- Wash the sweet potato and cut it into small chunks (leave the skin on if they’re organic). Place them in the steamer above the rice cooker and let the rice cook/ potatoes steam until done.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / F.
- In the mean time, cut the fresh parsley, onion and garlic into small pieces.
- Once the sweet potatoes are soft, place them in a large bowl and mash them up with a fork or potato masher.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and spice it up as desired. Stir everything together until you have a moist mixture.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and take out about 2-3 Tbsp of the mixture. Roll it in your hands, press it down and place a small amount of cashew moxarella in the middle (you can skip this step if you want to omit the cheeze). Form the mixture around the moxarella and roll it into a ball (the desired size depends on your preferences). Repeat this step until all the mixture is gone.
- Place the balls on the baking tray and place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes (until crispy on the outside).
- In the meantime whip up your dressing. Once the balls are ready, serve with a salad on the side and dressing on top!
For more delicious and healthy recipes like these sweet potato rice balls, check out my Mushroom Spinach Omelette or my Butternut Squash Curry!
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Why isn’t your video on your website?!
You’re awesome. This looks delicious and it hit close to home for Italians 😛
SO sorry! I usually always integrate into the website, but forgot this time… 😀 Already added it! Thanks so much, this means even more coming from an Italian 🙂
We baked these for longer than it asked for and they still wouldn’t crisp up. Any idea why?
They don’t become super crispy but they should crisp up a bit if you bake them with heat from above and below. Maybe try a bit longer, like 30 minutes instead and see if that works better 🙂
Would a flax egg work instead? I’m out of chia.
Yes, I’m sure it will! 🙂
Hi, I am trying to find a recipe that I can use while traveling so I have few questions:
1. Can I substitute buckwheat for rice?I just discovered your cooking,and I don’t know what is your opinion on buckwheat,but my gut really loves it,so I try to eat
2. How long can they stay in fridge?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Nevena, personally I’ve only tried buckwheat as flour in baking so far, but really loved it! I guess I should be experimenting more with it 🙂
Honestly I have no idea how to cook buckwheat, but I guess the process should be similar to rice. As the sweet potato is the ingredient that holds the balls together, it should work with any grain, including buckwheat! I’d say they can stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days. I also prepared big batches, froze half and then just popped them in the oven when needed.
Hope that helps 🙂
Hi, I am planning to make these the day before a baby shower. Should I just make them up to the point of putting them in the oven, and put them in the fridge instead. Then put them in the oven the day of?
Yes, that’s what I’d do! 🙂 If you’re planning to make a sauce on top I’d probably do it on the same day though
I could not get them crispy at all. I’ve made them twice and they resemble raw meatballs. I cooked longer. I increased temperatures but still not crispy. They are delicious,
Hi (:
I want to make these, but I do not have a rice cooker. Do I need to steam the sweet potatoes, or can I bake them? And for how long?
And by 2 cups of brown rice, do you mean 2 cups of cooked rice or do I need to prepare 2 cups of uncooked rice?
Thanks (:
Steaming or baking should be the same! 🙂 They just need to be soft enough to be easily mashed up with a fork. And it’s 2 cups uncooked brown rice 🙂
Can I use another rice or red lentils?
You can try any rice you want! 🙂 I’ve never tried lentils to be honest! But please let me know how they turn out in case you try! xx