This lentil falafel recipe is a great alternative to traditional falafels and a great activity to get your kids helping in the kitchen! They are delicious, super easy to make and are a great recipe to explore the benefits of legumes.
? Makes: 16
? Prep time: 30 mins Cook: 30 mins
Ingredients
Falafels
- 1½ cups pumpkin
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 green onions, washed and roughly diced
- ½ cup parsley, washed and roughly diced
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, optional
- ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes, optional
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 can lentils, rinsed and drained
- ⅔ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup wholemeal plain flour
Avocado Dressing
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 lime or lemon, squeezed
- 6 tablespoons water
- Handful fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
- Pinch of salt, optional
Directions
- Remove pumpkin peel and dice
- Steam pumpkin and allow to cool slightly
- Preheat over to 200ºC
- Line a baking tray with baking paper
- To make falafels, add the garlic, green onions, parsley, nutritional yeast and spices to the food processor, blend until all chopped
- Add the oil, pumpkin and lentils and rolled oats to food processor, blend (I like it with a little texture but you can blend till smooth)
- Add the plain flour to the food processor and blend again. By this time you should have a mixture that holds together when you press it (otherwise add a tad more flour)
- Take approximately 1 heaped tablespoon and form a ball of falafel. Place this onto the baking paper. Repeat this with the rest of the mixture
- Drizzle with a little extra oil
- Bake the falafels for 30 minutes or until they are golden
- While the falafels are cooking, make the avocado dressing: place avocado, lime, parsley, water, olive oil, salt and chilli flakes in a blender, blend until smooth and creamy
- Serving suggestion: Serve with roast veggies and quinoa or rice
Notes
Alternative serving suggestion: Serve falafel and avocado dressing (or your favourite dip) in a wrap with Israeli salad or a salad platter.
Any remaining avocado dressing can be stored in the fridge using an air tight container or glass jar.
Falafels can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
You can use chickpeas in place of lentils.
You can use sweet potato instead of pumpkin or a mix.
You can freeze these as a mixture (before you roll) or once cooked. To freeze as mixture pop in freezer bag. To freeze once cooked, allow to cool then place on tray. Freeze till hard and then pop them into a freezer bag. You can freeze for up to 3 months.
