Sweet Potato Falafel

Sweet Potato Falafel

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    • Prep Time
    • Minutes
    • Cook Time
    • Minutes
    • Yield
    • 20 bite size balls

This is a variation on the classic chickpea falafel, the addition of sweet potato results in a sweeter velvety textured falafel. Read my blog on frying – as this will ensure your falafels are perfect, light and crispy – and crucially don’t fall apart! Serve as a starter with a cucumber and mint dip, stuffed with salad in pita or flat bread, or to accompany tagines and Middle Eastern  flavoured dishes.

Remember to soak the chickpeas overnight. To read my blog on frying the perfect falafel  see here

For a link to Cucumber and Mint Raitha click here

Ingredients

  • 175g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
  • 1 med sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed with salt
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 dstsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp each of chilli flakes, cumin seeds, tumeric powder
  • 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 2 tbsp gram or cornflour
  • Flavourless oil to fry ie groundnut, sunflower, rapseed
  • 2 tbsp oil to saute onions

Instructions

  1. The soaked chickpeas should be nice and plump and ready to cook. Drain and rinse and pour half the quantity into a large saucepan. Cover with fresh water and bring to the boil. Add tsp salt and boil rapidly for about 50 minutes, or until completely cooked. keep checking the water levels. Drain and dry.
  2. Meanwhile roast the sweet potato in a hot oven, about 200c (400f), until soft and tinged at the edges
  3. Saute the onion and garlic, adding the spices after a few minutes. Cook gently for a further 10 minutes until soft and spices are cooked.
  4. In a food processor blend the remaining drained chickpeas and add the cooked ones. Blend until creamy and a smooth'ish texture. Transfer to a bowl and add the onion spice mix, chopped parsley, lemon and 1/2 of the flour and bicarb. Beat together until well mixed and check seasoning. Cover and chill for at least I hour - or as long as you can allow.
  5. Form into small bite sized balls and roll in the remaining flour. Place back into the fridge to firm until you are ready to cook.
  6. Proceed in one of the following ways to cook the felafal: you can deep fry, you can shallow fry (only 4 at a time (see blog) or roll in oil and bake in a hot oven for 20 - 30 minutes. Each way is delicious and work a treat!
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