A couple of weeks ago we were doing errands around the city center and we got very hungry. A falafel place which we both like was not very far, so we decided to stop there for lunch. It has been ages since we had falafels and it reminded me of how much I like them. Since the holidays are approaching, I thought they would make a good vegetarian dish to serve. To make them a bit more festive, I served them with a beet and potato mash.
This recipe makes 25 falafels.
Ingredients:
For the mash:
800gr of potatoes for mash like Russets
3 roasted beets, peeled and chopped
Pinch of onion powder
Pinch of garlic powder
Salt
For the falafel:
1 ½ cups of dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of coriander
½ teaspoon of onion powder
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of lemon pepper
1 tablespoon of harissa or more to taste
1 ½ teaspoon of salt
Pinch of cumin or more to taste
7 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
Extras:
1 ½ cups of vegetable oil
2 cups of panko
The night before, place the chickpeas in a large bowl with plenty of cold water and let them soak overnight.
To make the mash, first roast the beets until tender. I just wrapped each one in foil with a drizzle of olive oil and roasted them for 1.5 hours at 180C/350F. Then peel them and chop them.
Boil the potatoes until tender. Then peel them.
Place the cooked potatoes and beets in the food processor. Add salt, onion powder and garlic powder. Pulse until it is very smooth. You can leave it like this or if you want it extra smooth you can pass it through a sieve.
Drain the soaked chickpeas and place them in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients for the falafels. Pulse until everything is well combined; just make sure not to puree it. You still want to keep some texture. Transfer the mixture into a bowl.
Place the panko on a separate plate.
Start making balls with the falafel mixture, about the size of 1 tablespoon. Coat each ball in the panko and then flatten it. Repeat for the remaining mixture.
Pour the oil into a large pan over medium heat. Have a large plate lined with paper towels ready.
Pan-fry the falafels until golden on both sides. Place them on the prepared plate to soak up some of the oil.
Serve the falafels with the potato and beet mash, and the sauce of your choice.
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