Okay, so I know that Christmas is over and I am late to getting this recipe up on the blog. However, I still think it is still the “holiday”/winter season where these would still be delicious on any table!
I love taking a recipe from one cuisine and adding in alternative That is exactly what I did with these Christmas flavour inspired falafel balls. The great thing about these falafels is how simple they are to make. All you need is a food processor and you throw it all in – and voila! Read they are simple to make – throw all the ingredients in a food processor, scoop it oy to be scooped and baked! They are the perfect recipe when you want to wow guests, but also don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen either.
chestnuts roasting on an open fire….
We’ve been singing about chestnuts for years – but do we really know what they are? Chestnuts are ey unique as they are quite starchy and have a subtle flavour that is perfect for both savoury and sweet dishes. Chestnuts are primarily carbohydrates without any fat and very little protein (very rare for a “nut”).
Typically, tahini is the binding agent in falafel but instead, I use chestnut puree in this recipe. The chestnuts add a delicious Christmas flavour while also building a creamy and delicious consistency. Chestnut puree at first sounds a bit daunting, but it turns out that it comes pre pureed inmost local supermarkets or online.
I finish off the dish with a simple onion and chestnut gravy which although is optional, really brings the dish together especially served over a grain of choice.
festive beetroot & chestnut falafel
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
Beetroot & Chestnut Falafel
- 220 grams chickpeas drained
- 90 grams chestnut puree
- 50 grams carrot grated
- 4 grams garlic minced
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp cumin ground
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 30 grams chickpea flour or can use any other type of flour
- 200 grams beetroots roasted, blended and strained to remove excess water
- 50 grams dried cranberries
Chestnut & Onion Gravy
- 150 grams onion diced
- 50 grams frozen mirepoix (or you can chop carrots, celery and parsnips instead)
- 5 grams garlic minced
- 30 ml olive oil
- 473 ml vegetable stock
- 30 grams vegan butter
- 30 grams flour
- 60 grams chestnut paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Falafel
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F) and lay a pan with baking paper.
- Add all falafel ingredients into a food processor and blend until everything has broken down. Do not over pulse so it gets too mushy but to a desired texture (sometimes I want mine more broken up, whereas other times I look for a more homogenous mixture) This will yield about 300 grams of falafel base.
- Use a large ice cream scoop to scoop balls on prepared baking sheet. (if you want to use a two tablespoon cookie scoop instead that is fine too – just adjust the time to around 25 minutes cooking instead).
- Spray with olive oil and bake for 45 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove from oven and take the kale falafel out as they will be done and getting crispy. Flip over the sweet potato and beetroot falafel and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes until fully cooked and slightly crispy on the outside.
- Serve over buckhweat or other grain with chestnut, onion & red wine gravy.
Chestnut, Onion & Red Wine Gravy
- Add all of the vegetables into a small saucepan with 2 tablespoon olive oil (or 3 tablespoons water if avoiding oil) and simmer over medium/ low heat for 15-20 minutes or longer if you have more time to let the flavours meld and the vegetables to cook down.
- Pour the vegetables into a blender with 1 cup of vegetable stock and blend until smooth.
- Meanwhile, add the butter to a pot and heat at medium heat until melted.
- Add the flour and chestnut paste and whisk vigorously for two minutes until the butter becomes brown and flour tastes a bit nutty.
- Slowly add in the vegetable broth, and wine whisking continuously.
- Gravy should be slightly thin (not to desired texture of gravy – if it is already pretty thick, add some more broth). Then add in the purréed vegetables and soy sauce slowly and continue to stir and simmer until desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper.
