Vegan Falafel with Tahini Dressing
Of all the versatile foods Falafel has to be near the top of the list. This makes for a gorgeous lunch or dinner but also it’s the perfect little canapé if you make mini ones to serve as a snack too. Simple but well made falafel is so cost effective and you can bulk buy dried chickpeas very cheaply.
I like to make these in big batches and you can freeze the falafel pre- or post-frying. Arrange them on a baking tray in a single layer, freeze until solid, then pack into food bags.
The Frontier Foods Tahini is one of my favourite ingredients and this dressing is gorgeous. You can add a little chilli or cayenne to give it a kick if you like too! It’s creamy, rich and so delicious. Tahini is also an excellent source of both vegan protein and calcium.
FALAFEL
225g dried chickpeas
½ tsp baking soda
1/2 red onion
1 handful fresh parsley - roughly chopped
1 handful fresh coriander leaves- roughly chopped
½ cup fresh dill, stems removed
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt to taste
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp caraway seeds
1 tsp cayenne pepper or chilli, optional
4 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Oil for frying
METHOD:
One day in advance - place the dried chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl filled with water to cover the chickpeas by at least 2 inches. Soak overnight for 18 hours (longer if the chickpeas are still too hard). When ready, drain the chickpeas completely.
Add the chickpeas, herbs, onions, garlic and spices to a food processor fitted and process the ingredients together until it forms a thick chunky paste. Set as aside and allow to firm for at least an hour or overnight.
Using an Ice Cream scoop or spoon scoop tablespoonfuls of the falafel mixture and form into patties or balls. Roll them in the sesame seeds.
In a pan heat your oil over a high heat and fry the Falafel balls for 4-5 minutes until the outside is crispy. These can also be baked for 20 minutes at 180*.
Place the fried falafel patties in a colander or plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Serve your falafel hot drizzled with tahini sauce and top with coriander and pickled gerkins and salad.
Lemon Tahini Dressing
3 tablespoons Frontier Foods Tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 clove crushed garlic
Salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder.
Water to thin to your desired consistency - approx 150 ml.
Stir all ingredients together until well combined. Add water to get it to the consistency you want.
Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Serve in pittas or wraps with a simple salad of leaves, olive oil, lemon juice, sliced green olives and red peppers.
*Thank you to Frontier Foods for Collaborating with me on this post. See their Instagram for more inspiration and shop the range in stores nationwide.
