For this recipe I used the Kabocha Squash for its sweet nutty flavour. I have always found falafel a little dry and so I thought the addition of squash to the recipe would give it a smoother texture. The last night I truly enjoyed a hot falafel wrap was during one of my trips around New York last year with a friend. I don’t normally eat from street vendors, but this one was surrounded by massive signs which read: “As recommended in the New York Times” as well as having an extended queue of customers, I took a risk. They were really nice and what I liked was the unexpected crunch of the coriander seeds.
This falafel can be baked or fried, I chose to fry them slightly in shallow oil just to release some of the flavours from the spices and give it that crunchy texture. And then I finished baking them in the oven.
Enjoy them with a nice fresh salad or in a wrap with your favourite dressing.
Squash Falafel
Ingredients
400g cooked chickpeas, drained
400g pumpkin, peeled, diced and roasted
1 White onion, grated
4 cloves garlic crushed
1 handful fresh coriander,
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander seeds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp baking powder
60g chickpea (gram) flour
1/2 tsp of vegetable powder (or vegetable jelly/ stock cube dissolved in a little water).
Method
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and with a fork crushed the ingredients until you have a rough paste. Alternatively, you can do this in a food processor, but be sure to only pulse the mixture, you don’t want a pulp.
Season to taste and cover and refrigerate for 1 hour
Preheat oven to 180C/350F. If baking, with moist hands, roll the falafel mix into balls and place on an oiled baking sheet, spray with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes, rolling halfway through.
If frying, fill a large pan halfway with oil over a medium heat and spoon the falafel mix into the oil, frying them until brown (2-3 minutes each side. Then drain on a kitchen towel.
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