Falafel with Creamy Garlic Sauce and Avocado Hummus
Ramp up the flavour of your falafel with this tasty recipe packed with butternut squash, coriander, lemon and chilli flakes. Served with a cool garlic sauce and irresistible avocado hummus, this vegetarian favourite has been given the ultimate upgrade.
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Introduction
I wanted to show you that falafel don’t have to taste as dry and tasteless as a cardboard bun. And the dip is a trip.
Ingredients
| 450g | butternut squash or sweet potato, peeled and cubed |
| 2 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 tsp | allspice |
| 1 tsp | chilli flakes |
| 2 tsp | ground coriander |
| 2 x 400g | tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed |
| small bunch | of coriander leaves, chopped |
| 3 tbsp | plain flour, plus extra to coat |
| 1 | lemon, juice of |
| 1 tsp | nigella or onion seeds |
| 5 tbsp | sunflower oil |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| For the garlic sauce: | |
| 150g | thick Greek yoghurt |
| 100ml | buttermilk |
| 3 tbsp | milk |
| 1 | fat garlic clove, crushed |
| 2 tbsp | finely chopped flat-leaf parsley |
| For the avocado hummus: | |
| 400g | tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained |
| 3 tbsp | tahini paste |
| 1 | large garlic clove, crushed |
| 1 | lemon, zest and juice |
| 1 | large ripe avocado |
| 1 tbsp | olive oil or avocado oil |
| To serve: | |
| 4 | flatbreads or wraps |
| 4 tbsp | pickled jalapenos (optional) |
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.
In a large roasting tray, toss the squash or sweet potato with the oil, allspice, chilli flakes and ground
coriander. Season to taste. Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until just cooked.
Place 1 tin of the chickpeas, the roasted squash and half the coriander leaves in a food processor and blitz several times to create a rough-textured mixture. Transfer to a bowl and blitz the remaining chickpeas in the food processor to a coarse texture. Add to the rest of the mixture and stir through the flour, most of the remaining coriander leaves and the lemon juice. Season to taste. Form the mixture into 12 balls, flatten gently with the palm of your hand and sprinkle with the nigella seeds. Set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the yoghurt, buttermilk, milk, garlic and parsley. Season to taste and set aside.
Next, make the hummus. Blitz the chickpeas, tahini, garlic and lemon zest and juice together in the small bowl of a food processor. Scoop the flesh out of the avocado, add to the chickpeas and blitz until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir through 2-3 tablespoons of cold water to create a dropping consistency. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with oil.
Now, return your attention to the falafel. Sprinkle some flour onto a plate and dip each falafel into it, making sure each one is evenly coated. Heat the sunflower oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the falafel and gently fry on each side for 5 minutes. Set aside on kitchen paper then transfer to a baking sheet and place in the hot oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, warm the flatbreads in a low oven for 5 minutes. Assemble the flatbreads with the falafel, a good drizzle of the sauce, a spoonful of hummus, the remaining coriander and some pickled jalapenos, if you like.
Prep time: 40 minutes plus 30 minutes chilling. Cooking time: 1 hour.
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