Pumpkin Falafels

Do you LOVE falafels? If the answer's a big YES, then you're not going to be disappointed... These falafels are even better than normal ones as they combine your traditional falafel flavours with those of autumnal pumpkin. Even better, they're completely gluten and grain-free and vegan. For this recipe, we used cassava flour, but you can use a different flour if that's what you would prefer. You can make the falafel mixture several hours in advance too before frying, just be sure to keep it wrapped up in the fridge.

Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern 'fast food' made from chickpeas and fresh herbs and are delicious served hot or cold and can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

These delicious little balls are so fresh and tasty and really do give your taste buds a FIESTA!

We like to serve ours inside a homemade cassava tortilla, with fresh salad leaves, fresh rocket and a thick spread of pumpkin hummus.

However you decide to serve them, ENJOY!

Happy Cooking!

The Food Fiesta Team

INGREDIENTS

makes 17 balls using an ice-cream scoop

• 340g canned chickpeas

• 1/2 red onion

• 3x cloves of garlic

• 1x cup of pumpkin puree

• 1 tsp of sea salt

• 1 tsp of black pepper

• 1 tsp of cumin

• 1 tsp of ground fennel

• 1 tsp of sweet paprika

• 1 tsp of ground ginger

• 1/2 cup of cassava flour ( or flour of your choice )

• handful of chopped coriander

METHOD

Drain the chickpeas and add to a food processor.

Peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic and add to the processor.

Add all of the other ingredients except from the flour and blitz until everything is smooth.

Transfer to a large bowl and add the flour and fold through the mixture.

Let it chill in the fridge for a minimum 30 minutes before shallow frying.

You can use your hands to roll the mixture into balls, however we like to use an ice-cream scoop so they are all equal in size.

Add oil to your preferred frying pan and add your falafels. Depending on the size of your pan you may need to cook in batches.

Fry on a high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until each side is cooked and crispy.

Once cooked place onto a plate with folded kitchen roll and pat off any excess oil.

Serve and enjoy.