Serves 4
Ingredients
For the falafels:
4oz / 115g / ½ cup quinoa
8oz / 225g / 1 cup chopped carrot
4oz / 115g / ½ cup sliced spring onions (about 3)
3 tbsp chopped parsley
1 can (15oz / 400g) chick peas (garbanzo beans)
2 flaxeggs
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
For the tahini sauce:
8oz / 225g / 1 cup plain soya yogurt
2oz / 55 g / ¼ cup tahini
1 tbsp lemon zest
Fresh chives to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
1 English cucumber, cut into matchsticks
Preparation method
1 In a small saucepan, bring 8fl oz / 227mls / 1 cup water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool for now.
2 In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, tahini, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and pepper, and chives if you have them. Cover and put in the fridge.
3. In a blender or food processor, pulse the carrots and parsley. Add the spring onion, chick peas, sesame seeds, lemon juice, flaxeggs, garlic, coriander and cumin. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Pulse until roughly combined, add quinoa, and give it another few pulses. (I prefer it chunky.) Taste for seasonings. Allow to set in fridge for an hour. It will be fine resting overnight if you really like to plan ahead.
4. Heat a nonstick pan* over a medium high heat with 1 tbsp of the oil. Scoop the mixture out in roughly 2 tbsp size portions, roll and flatten into patties. Sear them in the saucepan for about 3 minutes on each side, with a slight press of the spatula between to thin the patty a bit. Use the remaining oil when the pan becomes dry, about the third batch.
5. I ate mine at room temperature over some matchstick cucumbers, with a drizzle of the yogurt tahini sauce on top. You could put them in mini pitas and they could be a neat veg appetizer. I love mini things.
* Using a nonstick pan will allow you to use less oil to keep the falafels from sticking. You need some oil to create a crust, but you are not ‘frying’ them.