Mini falafel bowl

A healthy vegetarian bowl of homemade mini falafel, shredded cabbage and carrot salad and dollops of spiced yoghurt, a fresh and wholesome feed.

Mini falafel bowl Credit: Donal's Cook, Eat, Burn!

• serves

  4

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Falafels

• ½ small red onion, chopped
• small handful each of fresh mint and coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
• zest and juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 400 g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• olive oil, for frying
• cooked bulgur wheat, to serve

Shredded salad

• ½ small head of red cabbage, tough stalks removed, shredded
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp honey
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Spiced yoghurt

• 1 tsp each of ground coriander and cumin
• ½ tsp each of ground turmeric and mustard seeds
• ½ tsp chilli powder (mild or hot, depending on taste)
• 250 g natural yoghurt
• 1 mild red chilli, thinly sliced (remove the seeds if you don’t want it too hot)
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chilling time: 1 hour (time permitting)

Instructions

1. To make the falafel, place the red onion, mint, coriander, tahini, lemon zest and juice, cumin, cayenne and paprika in a food processor with a good pinch of salt. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas and pulse again briefly until the chickpeas are chopped fine – you are not looking for a smooth paste but something with a bit more texture.

2. With dampened hands, shape into 20 small balls and chill in the fridge for up to an hour (if time allows). Heat a thin film of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the falafel balls for 4–6 minutes, until golden brown all over, turning occasionally with tongs. Drain on paper towel.

3. To prepare the shredded salad, place all the vegetables in a bowl. Make a quick dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey and a little salt and pepper (or shake in a jar with a tight-fitting lid) and then use to dress the salad, tossing until evenly coated.

4. To make the spiced yoghurt, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Arrange the falafel on the bulgur wheat with a small bowl of the spiced yoghurt. Serve the shredded salad alongside.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.