Sweetpotato Falafels
North Carolina Sweetpotato Falafels are a flavorful twist on the classic, combining creamy sweetpotato purée with chickpeas, fresh herbs, and warm spices. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, these falafels can be fried for a traditional finish or baked for a lighter option. Served warm with a lemony tahini sauce and fresh greens, they make a satisfying plant based meal or shareable dish full of color and texture.
Recipe
Ingredients
- For Falafel
- 500 g plain North Carolina sweetpotato puree Covington
- 300 g cooked chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 200 g flour
- ½ red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small bunch of fresh coriander
- 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. coriander powder
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- Frying oil
- Salt and pepper
- For the sauce:
- 3 tbsp. tablespoon tahini sesame paste
- 1 half lemon
- 3 tbsp. water
- 1 half garlic clove
- 1 tsp. coffee zaatar
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Peel and cook the North Carolina sweetpotatoes in water for 10 to 20 minutes, covered (the blade of a knife should be able to sink into the flesh without resistance) then mash them.
- Chop the garlic and chop the red onion. Rinse the cilantro and parsley to roughly chop them.
- In a blender, mix the North Carolina sweetpotato puree, the chickpeas, the flour, the onion, the garlic, the spices, the herbs, the salt and the pepper to obtain a homogeneous, slightly sticky paste.
- With floured hands to prevent the falafel from sticking, manually form balls of about 4 cm. Place them on a floured dish and put them in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil gently so that it rises to 170 - 180°C then immerse the falafels in the oil for 7-8 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking. Once cooked, place them on a sheet of absorbent paper before serving.
- Tip: it is possible to opt for cooking in the oven at 180°C for 30/40 min by turning them over several times to have a lighter version of the falafels. In this case it will be necessary to brush them with olive oil as well as the baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.
- For the sauce, chop the garlic then mix all the ingredients, squeezing the lemon and adding 1 tbsp. tablespoon olive oil. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Serve still warm with a salad of young shoots garnished with coriander and fresh mint, a few pomegranate seeds, and the sauce.
