Name: Courgette falafel
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 small courgette; 1 Tbsp salt; 2 cups of pre-soaked dry chickpeas; 2 cloves of garlic, minced; 1 small red onion, chopped; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp ground coriander; 1 Tbsp chopped mint; 2 Tbsp chickpea flour; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; Salt & pepper; Grapeseed oil to fry

Courgette falafel

4 Jul 2019

by Dinna

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Total Time

40 minutes

Background

These vegan and gluten-free Courgette falafels are made using the traditional process - i.e. fried with raw, pre-soaked chickpeas rather than cooked ones. So they are crunchy on the outside, softly textured on the inside. It's important to pre-soak the chickpeas overnight - also the falafel mixture needs resting before frying. These falafels are perfect for parties and picnics - either as nibbles with a dip (for example courgette tzatziki) or stuffed in pitta bread with condiments of your choice.

Ingredients

1 small courgette
1 Tbsp salt
2 cups of pre-soaked dry chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small red onion, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp chopped mint
2 Tbsp chickpea flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Salt & pepper
Grapeseed oil to fry

Instructions

Grate the courgette into a sieve, add the salt and rest for 30 minutes over a bowl. Squeeze out the excess moisture using the base of a spoon against the sieve.
Put the courgette into a large mixing bowl.
Drain the chickpeas and add to the courgette. Add the spices, garlic, onion, herbs and chickpea flour. Season with salt & pepper (you can add a pinch of cayenne if you like). Combine well.
Put half of the mixture into a food processor and blend, scraping down the sides of the food processor as necessary. When you get a coarse mixture, resembling couscous, transfer it into a bowl. Repeat the processing with the remaining mixture.
Combine well the two blends and cover the bowl with clingfilm, then chill for 2 hours (or place in the freezer for 20 minutes).
Add the bicarb to the falafel mixture and combine well, then form small patties or balls. Put them on a plate.
Heat some grapeseed oil in a small, deep pan to the depth of 3 cm. Fry 4-5 falafels at a time for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Add more oil to the pan as necessary.
Transfer the falafels onto a plate, lined with paper kitchen towels.