2 medium sweet potatoes (orange inside), around 700g or 1 1/2 pounds in total
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 small cloves of garlic, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 big handfuls of fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
a scant cup (120g) gram /chickpea flour (I used breadcrumbs because I couldn't find chickpea flour here)
a splash of olive oil
a sprinkling of sesame seeds
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 425F degrees (220C) and roast the sweet potatoes whole until just tender - 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off the oven, leave the potatoes to cool, then peel.
Put the sweet potatoes, cumin, garlic, ground and fresh coriander, lemon juice and gram/chickpea flour into a large bowl. Season well, and mash until smooth with no large chunks. Stick in the fridge to firm up for an hour, or the freezer for 20-30 minutes. When you take it out, your mix should be sticky rather than really wet. You can add a tablespoon or so more of chickpea flour if necessary (the water content of sweet potatoes varies enormously).
Reheat the oven to 400F/200C. Using a couple of soup spoons (put a well-heaped spoonful of mix in one spoon and use the concave side of the other to shape the sides) or a falafel scoop if you have one, make the mixture into falafelly looking things and put them on an oiled tray. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, until the bases are golden brown.
Makes about 18 falafel, enough for 4 - 6.
Tahini dressing:
8 teaspoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup tahini
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lemon
Several dashes fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh parsley
1/2 cup cold water
Heat the garlic in 6 teaspoons of the olive oil in a small sauté pan over very low heat for 2 minutes, just until it's fragrant.
Place the heated garlic and all the other ingredients except the parsley in the food processor or blender, and blend until smooth. Add the parsley and pulse until the parsley is very finely chopped but not pureed.
Refrigerate at least 1/2 hour in an airtight container. You may need to mix in a little extra water once it's chilled.
Recipe #2: I made this fritters for the first time the other night and they were delicious. The only problem I had was that they fell apart very easily. I would recommend adding breadcrumbs or flour into the batter to thicken it. I also served them with a Melon Salad.
Zucchini and Chickpea fritters:
Ingredients
• 400g can chickpeas
• 3 zucchini, grated
• 150g Greek feta, crumbled
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 1 Tbsp chopped dill
• 1 small red chilli, chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
Tzatziki
• 200g Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 Lebanese cucumber (grate and remove any excess moisture)
• 1 small white onion
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Method
1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, put in a food processor and process until finely mashed. Transfer to a bowl. Add zucchini, feta, mint, dill, chilli and egg. Mix with a wooden spoon to combine.
2. Cover the base of a large non-stick frying pan with oil, then heat on medium-high. Combine flour, salt, pepper and oregano on a plate. Put heaped tablespoons of the chickpea mixture into the flour and shape into patties. Dust off excess flour. Cook the fritters in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden, and drain on paper towel. Serve the fritters with Tzatziki.
Melon Salad:
Ingredients:
8 cups 1 1/4-inch chunks seedless watermelon or yellow melon (about 6 pounds)
3 pounds ripe tomatoes cored, cut into 1 ¼ inch chunks (about 6 cups)
1 red bell pepper finely diced
1 red onion finely diced
1 teaspoon (or more) fleur de sel or coarse kosher salt
½ teaspoon chili flakes
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped assorted fresh herbs (such as dill, basil, and mint)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 5 ounces)
1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted (optional)
Directions:
Combine melon, tomatoes, onion and pepper in large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon fleur de sel and toss to blend; let stand 15 minutes. Add oil, vinegar, and herbs to melon mixture. Season to taste with pepper and more salt, if desired. Sprinkle with feta cheese and toasted almonds and serve.
