Beetroot falafel recipe

This awesome beetroot falafel recipe is taken from The Detox Kitchen Bible by Lily Simpson and Rob Hobs.

The main reason falafel goes wrong is taking a shortcut and using tinned chickpeas. This always results in wet, mushy, sad-looking patties. But if you start with dried chickpeas, you will end up with wonderfully crisp, round, textured falafels. We’ve added beetroot to these for its bright red colour and its folate content, which is used in the production of red blood cells and helps ward off anaemia.

Ingredients
(Serves 4, 385 calories per serving)

200g dried chickpeas

2 raw beetroots, peeled and finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

50g cashew nuts

30g home-shelled pistachio nuts

1tsp olive oil

½ red onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten with a fork

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2tsp ground cumin

1tsp smoked paprika

1tbsp sesame seeds

For the yoghurt dip

3tbsp plain soya yogurt

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1tsp tahini

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely sliced

A pinch of ground cumin

A pinch of salt

To serve

Iceberg lettuce, separated into leaves

Fresh mint leaves

Method
Soak the chickpeas in cold water overnight. The next day, drain and place them in a fresh pan of cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 50 minutes until soft. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Preheat your oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Place the chickpeas, beetroot, carrot, cashew nuts and pistachios in a blender and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the onion and garlic until soft. Add them to the bowl along with the rest of the ingredients (except the sesame seeds). Mix together well.

Shape the mixture into small balls and roll them in the sesame seeds to coat. Place the balls on the baking tray and bake in the heated oven for 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dip by mixing together all the ingredients for it.

Serve the falafels with the dip, lettuce leaves and mint. To eat, place three mint leaves on a lettuce leaf, set a falafel on this, add a dollop of yoghurt dip and wrap up.

Extract taken from The Detox Kitchen Bible by Lily Simpson and Rob Hobson, £25.

Photography © Keiko Oikawa