Beetroot falafel
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Easy
- Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained
- 500g raw beetroot, peeled, trimmed and coarsely grated
- 100g fresh breadcrumb
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp tahini paste
- vegetable oil, for brushing or frying
To serve
- 1 tbsp tahini paste
- 2 x 150ml pots natural yogurt
- pinch of sugar
- flatbreads
- few pickled golden beetroot, diced (see 'Goes Well With')
- 3 handfuls beet leaves or a bag of beet salad
Method
- STEP 1
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onions until softened but not coloured. Add the cumin and cook for 1 min, then scrape the mixture into a food processor with the chickpeas, two-thirds of the grated beetroot, the breadcrumbs, egg and tahini. Whizz to a rough paste, then scrape into a bowl and stir in the remaining grated beetroot with plenty of seasoning.
- STEP 2
With damp hands, shape into about 20 balls and space on baking parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until ready to serve.
- STEP 3
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the falafels with a little vegetable oil and bake for 20-25 mins until crisp and hot through. Alternatively, heat 2.5cm oil in a deep wok and fry in batches, turning, until crisp and hot.
- STEP 4
To serve, mix the tahini with the yogurt, sugar and some seasoning, then dollop onto the flatbreads with the warm or room-temperature falafels, diced beetroot and beet leaves or salad.
