Elevate your falafel game with this inventive recipe featuring pan-fried sweet potato and chickpea patties. Paired with spicy harissa mayo and tangy pickled cabbage, this dish is a delicious and lighter take on a classic favorite.
Discover a fresh take on falafel with this recipe for sweet potato and chickpea patties, pan-fried to a crispy perfection. While traditional falafel is deep-fried and made from dried chickpeas, this modern twist uses tinned chickpeas and grated sweet potato, resulting in a moister and lighter patty. Perfectly paired with spicy harissa mayo and tangy pickled cabbage, this dish brings a burst of flavor and texture to your plate.
Ingredients:
For the Falafel:
800g (2 cans) chickpeas, drained
60g fresh flat-leaf parsley (reserve 10g for garnish)
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
Zest of 2 lemons (juice used for pickled cabbage)
1 small sweet potato, peeled and grated (approximately 200g)
2 tablespoons chickpea flour (20g)
Rapeseed oil for frying
For the Pickled Cabbage:
¼ red cabbage (300g), finely shredded
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
To Serve:
2 tablespoons rose harissa (Belazu recommended)
120g vegan mayonnaise
4 large pitas or flatbreads
½ cucumber (150g), finely sliced
Pickled chillies (Cooks & Co’s green frenk chillies suggested)
Instructions:
– Prepare the Falafel Mixture: Place the drained chickpeas in a food processor along with the chopped parsley (save some whole leaves for garnish), ground cumin, ground coriander, baking powder, sea salt, and lemon zest. Blitz until you achieve a rough paste. If the mixture doesn’t hold together when pressed, blend again until it does.
– Combine Ingredients: Transfer the chickpea mixture to a bowl. Fold in the grated sweet potato and chickpea flour. Shape the mixture into 12 balls, each about 65g, then flatten them into patties approximately 6cm in diameter.
– Make the Pickled Cabbage: In a bowl, combine the finely shredded cabbage with lemon juice, half a teaspoon of salt, and the reserved parsley leaves. Toss well and set aside.
– Prepare the Harissa Mayo: Mix the rose harissa with the vegan mayonnaise in a bowl until well combined.
– Cook the Falafel: Heat three tablespoons of rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the patties (cook in batches if needed), moving them around to ensure even browning. Fry for 4-5 minutes on each side, adding more oil as needed, until they are a deep, dark brown and crispy.
– Assemble and Serve: Toast the pitas, then cut them open and spread harissa mayo on the inside of each half. Fill with three falafel patties, a handful of pickled cabbage, cucumber slices, and a pickled chilli. Repeat with the remaining pitas and ingredients.
Enjoy these delicious, pan-fried sweet potato falafels with their vibrant accompaniments for a satisfying and modern twist on a classic dish.
