I made this falafel bowl for a picnic and it was perfect! For me it is Summertime happiness in a bowl…bright colours and deliciousness! I made the falafel lighter and brighter by making them from lentils instead of chickpeas, and by baking them! They had all the crispiness that we love from fried food but are healthier…it is a win-win!
Preparation time: 1 hour 30 minutes (including cooking time)
Ingredients (Serves 3, makes 13-15 falafel):
Falafel:
- 250g Dried Lentilles Vertes
- 1 inch cube Ginger
- 2 Birdseye Red Chillies
- 4 Spring Onions
- 28g Fresh Parsley
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 6 Pepper Corns
- 4 tbsp Water
- Salt
- 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
- 5 tbsp Olive Oil
Humous:
- 480g Drained Chickpeas (tinned)
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp Tahini
- 1 Red Chilli
- 1 small Garlic Clove
- Salt
- 1 cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 tsp Coriander Cumin Powder
Chef’s Hot Sauce:
- 10 Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 Scotch Bonnet Chilli
- 3 inches of a Cucumber (skin on)
- 3 (or equivalent) Baby Carrots
- 1 Lime juiced
Salad:
- 1/2 Yellow Pepper sliced into slithers
- 50g Alfalfa Sprouts
Method:
- Check the lentils for stones etc and then rinse under cold running water
- Boil the lentils for 20 minutes (no longer as we want them to still have a bite)
- Meanwhile place the chickpeas, garlic and chilli for the humous into a blender and blend until smooth
- Add the lemon juice, salt to taste (start with 1 1/2 tsp), tahini and coriander powder to the chickpea mixture and blend further
- Add the olive oil gradually to the humous whilst blending
- Check the salt and lemon juice levels in the humous and adjust if needed
- Place the humous aside in a bowl and apply cling film in contact with the humous surface to prevent the humous from drying out
- Make the Chef’s Sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients to a clean blender for 2 minutes, then set aside
- Drain the lentils for the falafel and rinse them through with cold water to stop the cooking process
- Place the chillies, spring onions, parsley, ginger and garlic into a blender and blitz
- Add the lentils to the blender and blend with the spice-herbs until majority of the lentils have been broken down and the mixture has begun to form a ball…let some lentils stay whole for texture
- Add the lemon juice and salt to taste to the falafel mixture and blend to incorporate
- Add the pepper corns and water to the falafel mix, tbsp at a time, and blend
- Check mixture for taste
- Using dry hands shape the falafel mix into 13-15 pieces and press 6 sesame seeds onto each
- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees on Fan Grill (or fan oven)
- Coat each falafel with olive oil and place on a greaseproof sheet and cook in the oven for 15 minutes
- Meanwhile heat the falafel oil in a small pan until sizzling hot
- Remove the falafel from the oven and brush with the sizzling oil, and then continue to cook in the oven for 20 minutes
- At this point the falafel should be crispy, but if not turn the oven to grill setting
- Plate up…or bowl up, with the humous at the base, a few falafel each, blobs of Chef’s Sauce and a bit of salad
- Enjoy my Little Peas!
