I’ve been thinking about making falafels in the Thermomix for a while now and I finally got around to putting some thought into how to do it. I’ve made a few modifications from the traditional recipes by including some eggplant, covering the patties in polenta rather than breadcrumbs and baking them in the oven instead of deep-frying them. I’ve also included a minted yoghurt to serve with the finished falafels.
Makes ~16 pieces
Ingredients
100g dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 small eggplant (~300g), cut into 3cm pieces
20g light olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp sweet paprika
Salt and pepper, to season
Polenta, for covering
Minted Yoghurt
200g natural yoghurt
10g mint leaves
1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 220C on the broiler setting and line a baking tray with wax or baking paper
2. Add dried chickpeas and mill with the measuring cup (MC) on for 10 seconds/Speed 9; remove to a mixing bowl
3. Add eggplant into the Thermomix bowl and chop for 5 seconds/Speed 4
4. Add oil, salt and pepper and sauté with the MC off for 3 minutes/Varoma/Speed 1; remove to the mixing bowl with the milled chickpeas and mix together
5. Add garlic into the Thermomix and chop with the MC on for 5 seconds/Speed 7
6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add canned chickpeas, cumin, coriander, sweet paprika, salt and pepper into the Thermomix bowl and chop with the MC on for 10 seconds/Speed 6
7. Add chickpea mixture to the eggplant and milled chickpeas and mix together
8. Form mixture into patties by rolling into 4.5-5cm balls, cover with polenta, place on the baking tray and press down lightly to flatten slightly
9. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, flip over and cook for another 10 minutes
10. To make the sauce, in a cleaned Thermomix, add mint into the bowl and chop with the MC on for 5 seconds/Speed 5
11. Add yoghurt and lemon juice and mix with the MC on for 5 seconds/Speed 3
Serving Suggestions
1. Serve with a salad of mixed leaves, parsley leaves and tomatoes and dressed with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil
Tips and Hints
1. If you end up with a seam or crack when you roll the balls, the mixture is too dry and will fall apart when you press them down on the baking tray. So, incorporate water into the mixture – one teaspoon at a time – until it can be rolled into balls without a seam or crack
