Sweet Potato Falafel
These orange lumps turned out to be great munchables. We served them at an event as a gyro substitute with yogurt tzatziki, then the next day we ate them as leftovers, and the day after that I packed a few along for a road trip and they held up well to the trials of travel. Moist, not quite as intense as falafel, easy because they are baked, and best of all… ORANGE…I am definitely adding these to the catering repertoire.
This recipe basically comes from Leon: Ingredients & Recipes
Once again I committed to providing a dish to around 100 people that I had not completely tested and was not positive how it would turn out. The recipe looked sound and the reviews were good…but you never really know, and I had been too busy to do a sample run. I added cooked butternut squash because I had local squash and wanted at least some of the ingredients to be from the area (sweet potatoes were not yet ready), and decreased the amount of garbanzo flour by half replacing it with rice and corn flour because I wasn’t sure if the diners were up for the full garbanzo flavor. I’ll give you my version, but I think that the original recipe is probably perfect.
The moisture content of yams and squash can vary greatly so you may need to make minor adjustments to the flour amounts. The texture should be sticky at first, then easier to work with once it sits in the refrigerator for half an hour. I was able to roll these into balls without too much sticking.
A company of tailless orange mice.
Sweet Potato Falafel
Prep Time: 20 minutes, then 30 minutes to rest in fridge
Cook Time: 1 hour for Sweet Potatoes to bake, 30 minutes for falafel balls to bake
Roast until soft in a 400 degree oven:
1-2 Orange Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
Butternut Squash (optional)
Peel, then puree.
Mix together in a large bowl:
3 cups of the Orange mixture— either 2 cups Orange Sweet Potato and 1 cup Butternut Squash, or all Sweet Potato
2 teaspoons Coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin
1 cup Cilantro, chopped
1 – 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Garbanzo Flour
1/4 cup Rice Flour (OR don’t use Rice and Corn, just 1 cup Garbanzo Flour)
1/4 cup Corn Flour
Salt
Pepper
Let sit for 30 minutes in the refrigerator to set up, it will be easier to work with once the flour has absorbed the moisture.
Form into balls or patties and place on a well oiled cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with:
Sesame Seeds
Store covered for a day in the refrigerator, or bake at 400 degrees F for 20-30 minutes or until edges show browning.
That Rorschach plate from the last Edible Alien Theatre.
