Name: Roasted butternut falafel
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 7 servings
Cuisine: Bake
Ingredients: 200 g chickpeas dried; 1 kg butternut peeled, seeded; olive oil extra virgin; 40 g bulgar wheat; 2 garlic cloves; 1 tsp coriander ground; 1 tsp paprika smoked; 1/2 fresh coriander chopped; lemon juice only; salt and freshly ground black pepper to season; 1/2 tsp Robertson's baking powder; 50 g chickpea flour; oil for deep-frying; feta cheese whipped dip; 80 g feta cheese crumbled; 1/2 cup yoghurt full cream plain; 2 Tbs olive oil extra vrigin; lemon juice only; salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

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Ingredients (19)

200 g	chickpeas — dried
1 kg	butternut — peeled, seeded
	olive oil — extra virgin
40 g	bulgar wheat
2	garlic — cloves
1 tsp	coriander — ground
1 tsp	paprika — smoked
1/2	fresh coriander — chopped
	lemon — juice only
	salt and freshly ground black pepper — to season
1/2 tsp	Robertson's baking powder
50 g	chickpea flour
	oil — for deep-frying
	feta cheese — whipped dip
80 g	feta cheese — crumbled
1/2 cup	yoghurt — full cream plain
2 Tbs	olive oil — extra vrigin
	lemon — juice only
	salt and freshly ground black pepper — to season

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Method:

Soak the chickpeas overnight in double the volume cold water.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.

Cut the butternut or pumpkin 2cm chunks.

Place on a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt and roast for about 30 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked and caramelised around the edges.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

When cool, place the pumpkin pieces in a food processor with all the remaining ingredients, except the baking powder and chickpea flour.

Blitz until just combined (not mushy or pasty).

Check the seasoning and place the mixture in a bowl.

Add the baking powder and chickpea flour and mix until combined and place in the fridge for at least an hour.

While the mixture chills make the whipped feta dip by placing all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until well combined.

Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan (to reach at least 5cm up the sides of the pan) and test if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small bit of mixture into the oil. The mixture must start to sizzle and fry immediately.

Wet your hands and press the mixture into balls about the size of a walnut.

Fry in the oil in batches for 6 – 8 minutes until well browned and cooked through. Drain and serve while hot.

Reprinted with the permission of Heinstirred. To see more click here.

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