Butternut Squash Falafel

Falafel is something that me and a few of my friends at work absolutely love but usually they are rather high in points so you end up with a measly lonely falafel and absolutely no satisfaction. Because of this I decided today to try adapt a recipe (original here) into a low point falafel recipe that would taste just as good and the result was amazing! This falafel can be served in a wrap with salad and extras (serving suggestions below and recipe here) or as part of a normal salad with lots of vegetables and leaves. It would also be great with my harissa roasted vegetable salad!

Ingredient

Makes 16 falafels

0sp on BLUE

500g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and roughly cubed
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and crushed with the flat part of a knife
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon curry powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground cinnamon
400g tin of chickpeas in water, drained
1 small bunch coriander, finely chopped

And another…
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Method
Preheat the oven to 200c. Pop the butternut squash in a baking tray. Spray with low calorie cooking spray and sprinkle the garlic powder, cumin, coriander, curry, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the butternut squash. Add the bashed garlic cloves and toss everything to evenly coat with the spices. Pop in the oven for 30-40 minutes until soft and beginning to colour.

Whilst your butternut squash is in the oven pop the chickpeas, fresh coriander and the additional cumin, coriander and garlic powder into a food processor. Blend for several minutes until well combined and pop in a bowl to one side.

Once the butternut squash is cooked, squeeze the garlic cloves out their skin and into a food processor and then add the butternut squash and blast in the food processor until blended but still a bit chunky. Mix the butternut squash with the chickpea mix and combine well.

Line your baking tray with some baking paper and then take 1 tbsp dollops of the mixture at a time and shape into rounds in your hands. Flatten the balls slightly when on the tray.

Pop in the fridge for 20-30 minutes (or until you need them). Spray with 1kal and pop in the oven for 30-40 minutes until they are nicely set and brown on top.

Serve with a nice mint yoghurt (fat free natural yoghurt, grated cucumber and a touch of mint sauce and lemon mixed), a little harissa swirled yoghurt (literally yoghurt with a touch of harissa dropped in the middle and swirled in, some low fat houmous and a nice green salad. Serve ‘sharing’ style with a few wedges of lemon.

Enjoy!