Baked Sweet Potato Falafel

For the longest time falafel has been one of my most favourite foods. One of the best quick meals or work lunches for me is a falafel wrap with salad and hummus (and lots of pickles), whatever time of day it is.

One of my very first recipes on here was a simple falafel recipe (find it here) but I've since adapted it to include one of my other favourites foods - sweet potato. This changes the flavour and texture of the falafel, as well as adding in a whole load of extra nutrients and goodness for ya. Sweet potatoes are a rich source of anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber that are essential for optimal health, as well as tasting darn good.


This is a simple, quick recipe that can be made in advance and stored in the fridge. It is baked, rather than fried, which reduces the amount of oil needed and helps to keep these littluns super healthy! 

As I've already said, falafel works really well in a wrap or pitta bread with salad and hummus, but for a lighter option, I also serve them on a bed of brown rice or quinoa, with a mix of veggies and salad. Drizzle with some tahini, a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds to make this simple dish even more delicious.

Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, about 700g in total
1 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed (240g drained weight)
1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
handful coriander leaves, chopped
juice ½ lemon
100g plain or gram/chickpea flour (I used GF plain flour)
1 tbsp olive oil
Makes about 15 pieces

To Make:

• Pre-heat your oven to 180C fan. 
• Microwave your whole sweet potato until tender, this should take about 10 minutes on high.
• Leave the sweet potato to cool for a short while and then peel and scoop out the flesh. When the sweet potato is tender, the skin should peal away easily.
• Put the cooked potato, chickpeas, cumin, garlic, paprika, ground and fresh coriander, lemon juice and flour into the bowl of a food processor. 
• Blend everything together in the food processor for a couple of minutes. It should all come together quite quickly and have a rough, moist texture.
• Season with some a pinch of salt and a good bit of freshly ground black pepper. Test and adjust, you may need to add a little more lemon juice or seasoning to suit your tastes.
• Using a tablespoon, and with floured hands, shape mix and into balls. You should be able to make about 15.
• Place on an oiled baking sheet and flatten slightly with your hands.
• Bake in your preheated for 15 minutes until the bases are golden brown.
• Flip over and bake for a further 15 minutes until brown all over.
• Leave to cool slightly and the serve or store in the fridge for a couple of days. You can re-heat in the microwave for about a minute, or in the oven for about 10 minutes. 
• Serve with salad, in warps or pittas or as a snack on the go!