Pumpkin Falafels Recipe

This recipe was recommended to us by one of our very own HWFL graduates so you can trust that it is tried and true! Warm and crunchy on the outside, fluffy and flavourful on the inside; these quick and easy falafels are a sure-fire winner for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 medium red onion – finely chopped
• 800g chickpeas – canned, rinsed, drained
• 750g pumpkin – roasted, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic – crushed
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 1½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 whole fresh red chilli – finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander – chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley – chopped
• 150g plain yoghurt
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• oil spray

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Lightly spray a non-stick saucepan with oil and heat over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 8-10 minutes or until softened. Transfer to a plate.
2. Process chickpeas in a food processor until a chunky puree forms.
3. Mash pumpkin in a large bowl.
4. Add onion, chickpeas, 2 garlic cloves, cumin, coriander, chilli, and parsley to the pumpkin.
5. Shape mixture into 12 balls and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Chill for 20 minutes.
6. Bake falafels for 20-30 minutes or until golden.
7. Meanwhile, combine yoghurt, lemon juice and remaining garlic in a small bowl.
8. Serve falafels with yoghurt dressing.

TIPS

• To ensure you’re having a satisfying and sustaining meal, serve the falafels on a toasted wholegrain wrap with mixed salad leaves. You could even try it out with our Fennel and baby bean salad ‘Free Food’ Recipe in your HWFL Guide on the side.
• To lower sodium, use no added salt canned varieties of chickpeas

Freshen things up further by adding some chopped parsley or coriander into the yoghurt dressing. Other fresh herbs that could also be used are basil, dill or oregano.