Sweet Potato Falafel

 

serve with a garlicky mayo for extra deliciousness

Hubs recently had to return to his native Canada for business.
As I bid him a teary goodbye, I said: ‘Are you going to have falafel?”
“I dunno,” he said. “Probably.”
And I wept a little inside as I watched him board his plane, thinking of all the falafel he’d have without me.

it’s good as a mash too

The first time Hubs introduced me to his native Toronto was a wonderful trip in many ways. Not least was the time we went to a shwarma place (the city seems to be crawling with them) and I got my first taste of the good stuff.
Since then it’s been a bit of a tradition to get our falafel fix every time we’re in the city.

to mix it up, swop out the coriander for parsley

Determined not to be left out this time, I decided to make a paleo-friendly version in my own kitchen…using sweet potato (which worked out well cos Hubs loathes sweet potatoes).
These are basically fried potato cakes with a little bit of special seasoning to give them that falafel flavour.
Yes, they’re not the real thing, but I think they are good enough to stand alone and be judged on their own merits.
Sweet Potato Falafel (makes 5)

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 spring/green onions, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander/cilantro leaf, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp coconut flour, sieved
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 red chili, de-seeded and finely sliced (keep the seeds if you like your falafel spicy)
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest

1. Place the sweet potato in a pot of water. Cover, bring to a boil and let simmer for 25-30 minutes until soft.
2. Drain the potato, season well and mash vigorously to a smooth mash.
3. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Scoop a generous tbsp of the mash and form into a patty shape. Place in the frying pan and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until brown. Repeat until the mash is used up.