Pesto Falafel
Forget everything you thought you knew about falafel. This Middle Eastern delight is one of the best vegan snacks you can get, and we've decided to take our up a gear by incorporating pesto into the mix. Yes, you heard us - pesto. Super tasty and super easy to make, these zesty little balls go great with hummus or whacked into a pitta with lashing of salad.
Serves
Ingredients
For the falafel
<item-todo-done>400g tin of chickpeas<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>50g pine nuts<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tbsp chickpea flour<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 banana shallot<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 clove garlic<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>60g fresh basil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>60g baby spinach<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 lemon<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp salt<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp ground pepper<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> vegetable oil for frying<item-todo-done>
To serve
<item-todo-done> flaky sea salt<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> store bought hummus<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Food Processor | Saucepan | Baking tray lined with baking paper
Prepare the ingredients
- Open, drain, rinse and very thoroughly dry the chickpeas.
- Peel, trim and roughly chop the shallot.
- Peel and halve the garlic clove.
- Rip the basil leaves off the stalks.
- Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice into the food processor, catching any pips in your free hand.
Make the mixture
- Add the chickpeas, pine nuts, chickpea flour, shallot, garlic, salt and pepper to the food processor and pulse until a textured puree forms.
- Add the basil and spinach to the food processor and pulse to combine.
Prepare the falafel
- Lightly oil your hands and scoop a heaped tablespoon of mixture out of the food processor.
- Roll into a ball or small patties (around 5cm tall), set down on the baking paper lined tray and repeat until all the mixture has been rolled.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 30m to firm up.** **
Cook the falafel
- You can cook these falafels a few different ways, but the tastiest is deep frying in vegetable oil until golden and crispy.
- You could alternatively shallow fry until golden and crispy, or bake them at 190˚C (fan setting) on a well-oiled tray for 25-30 minutes (flatter patty shapes rather than balls will be easier for baking).
Time to serve
- Transfer the falafel onto a plate lined with kitchen paper, sprinkle over some flaky sea salt while still hot and leave to sit for a minute.
- Serve with your favourite store bought hummus.