Beetroot Falafels with Quinoa Tabouli

So after attempting to make these last week and it turning into a fail (the mixture resembled more of a hummus than falafel mix thanks Magimix), I decided to make them again, this time pulsing, not blending 😂

The colour of fresh beetroot is so beautiful!

Dried chickpeas are so much nicer than canned ones (even the organic cans), I’ve really noticed the difference since starting to use dried ones.

If you have to buy canned make sure you remove the skin. It can be painstaking, but I guarantee it’s worth it. If you have friends or family that say chickpeas make them gassy, it’s the skin! I find planning really helps and I even rope my husband in to help with skinning the chickpeas so it’s done faster and then all I have to do is throw the ingredients in a food processor and then roll the falafels out, which takes about 15 minutes, plus, left overs for lunch!

Quick and easy weekday meal.

This recipe yields around 18 depending on size you roll.

Falafels

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas, cooked or 2 cans, drained rinsed and skinned (about 3 cups)

1 large beetroot, peeled roughly chopped

Juice and rind of 2 lemons

1/2 bunch of fresh parsley

3-4 cloves garlic

1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 – 1 cup of besan flour

Salt to taste

Sesame seeds to roll

Method

Place parsley, onion, garlic in food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Add beetroot and half of the chickpeas and pulse until blended, but still chunky
Add lemon rind and lemon juice and pulse again, be sure not to over blend
Transfer to a large bowl, stir in the remainder of chickpeas and add 1/4 cup of besan flour at a time. Keep adding besan flour until the desired consistency is achieved. The mixture should be able to hold together by itself
Form balls (about 2 tablespoons) and then roll in sesame seeds and place on a lined tray
Bake for 40-50 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius

Quinoa Tabouli

Ingredients

1 cup white quinoa, cooked as per instructions

1 large organic tomato, diced

1/2 bunch parsley (just the leaves) rinsed, finely chopped

1/4 bunch of mint (just the leaves) rinsed, finely chopped

Lemon juice

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, adjusting seasoning to liking!

Enjoy!!