
Falafels with spicy tomato & cashew sauce & poached spring vegetables
Nutrition and extra info
- Gluten-free
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal526
- fat28g
- saturates4g
- carbs39g
- sugars12g
- fibre17g
- protein22g
- salt1.9g
Ingredients
For the falafel
- 200g dry chickpea
- 25g parsley, leaves picked, stems reserved for the broth
Parsley
par-sleeOne of the most ubiquitous herbs in British cookery, parsley is also popular in European and…
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 banana shallot, roughly chopped
Shallot
shal-lotRelated to the onion (as opposed to being a younger version of it), shallots grow in clusters at…
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp ground coriander
- 1½ tsp turmeric
Turmeric
term-er-ikTurmeric is a fragrant, bright golden-yellow root that is most commonly seen and used dried and…
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
Baking powder
bay-king pow-dahBaking powder is a raising agent that is commonly used in cake-making. It is made from an alkali…
- sunflower or rapeseed oil, for frying
Rapeseed oil
If you want a light alternative to other cooking oils, rapeseed is a great choice and has…
For the poaching broth
- splash white wine (vegan if necessary, optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 banana shallot, roughly chopped
Shallot
shal-lotRelated to the onion (as opposed to being a younger version of it), shallots grow in clusters at…
- 1 celery heart or 2 stalks, cut into chunks
Celery
sell-er-eeA collection of long, thick, juicy stalks around a central, tender heart, celery ranges in…
- pinch of whole peppercorn
For the spring veg
- 200g baby carrot, trimmed (if the green parts are intact, leave a short stem)
- 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and cut into slim wedges
- 20 asparagus tips (about 200g)
Asparagus
a-spa-ra-gusLabour-intensive to grow, asparagus are the young shoots of a cultivated lily plant. They're…
- 12 pink radishes (about 100g), halved
Radish
rad-ishThe root of a member of the mustard family, radishes have a peppery flavour and a crisp, crunchy…
- 100g fresh or frozen broad bean, podded and skinned
Broad bean
braw-d be-enA member of the legume family, broad beans are pretty hardy and adaptable - they grow in most…
- 100g tub pomegranate seeds
Pomegranate
pom-ee-gran-atNow mainly grown in America, Spain, the Middle East and India, pomegranates originated in the…
For the spicy tomato & cashew sauce
- 25g cashew
Cashew
ka-shooThe seeds from the 'Cashew Apple' - a tree which bears bright orange fruit and is native…
- 1 tbsp sesame seed
- 1 tsp cumin seed
- ½ tsp chilli flakes, or to taste
- 1 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed or sunflower oil
Sunflower oil
A variety of oils can be used for baking. Sunflower is the one we use most often at Good Food as…
- 300g tomato, cut into chunks
Tomato
toe-mart-ohA member of the nightshade family (along with aubergines, peppers and chillies), tomatoes are in…
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp agave syrup or dark brown sugar
Agave syrup
Agave syrup (also known as agave nectar) is a naturally occurring sweetener similar in…
Method
Prepare the chickpeas. Put them in a large bowl and cover with at least 3 times their volume of cold water. Cover and soak for at least 8 hrs, or overnight.
To make the falafel mixture, drain the chickpeas then put them in a food processor with some seasoning. (Don’t worry if the chickpeas still feel quite firm at this stage – this is how they should be. Add the parsley leaves to the food processor along with the rest of the falafel ingredients. Whizz on high speed, adding 2-3 tbsp water, until a smooth but fairly solid mixture forms. Scrape into a bowl and cover.
Put all the ingredients for the poaching broth, plus 1 tsp salt, 800ml water, and the reserved parsley stems, in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 mins and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Put the cashews, sesame seeds, cumin and chilli flakes in a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Toast, stirring frequently, until the sesame seeds start to turn golden. Remove to a plate to cool. Add the oil to the pan and return to the heat, adding the tomatoes and garlic. Cook over a medium heat until the tomatoes collapse, about 5 mins. Allow to cool for a few mins, then transfer to a blender along with the toasted nuts and spices, the agave or sugar, and a generous pinch of salt. Whizz on high speed until smooth. Leave in the blender and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the falafel balls. Use wet hands to form balls the size of large cherries and place on a tray – you should have enough to make 20-24 balls. The balls can be made a day ahead and chilled.
About 15 mins before serving, strain the poaching liquid, then return the liquid to the pan, and bring to a simmer. Heat a 5cm depth of frying oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot enough, a small piece of bread dropped in it should turn brown in 20-30 secs. Carefully lower the falafel balls into the oil, cooking in batches of 6 at a time. Fry until deep golden brown all over, about 3 mins. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper, and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining batches. Safely set aside the oil.
Finally, poach the vegetables. Add the carrots to the poaching liquid and cook for 3-5 mins depending on the size, then add the remaining veg. Return to the boil and simmer for 3 more mins. Strain the vegetables, discarding the liquid.
To serve, first whizz the sauce once more (it has a tendency to separate). Place spoonfuls of sauce on each warmed plate (one spoonful for each falafel looks nice). Divide the falafel and spring veg between the plates, scatter with pomegranate seeds and serve immediately.
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