Roasted Butternut Squash Falafel

Ingredients

• 200 g dried chickpeas
• 1 kg peeled (seeded butternut squash or pumpkin (yields about 500g when roasted))
• Olive Oil (for drizzling)
• 40 g uncooked bulgur wheat
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 bunch chopped coriander
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt and ground black pepper to season
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 50 g chickpea flour
• oil (for deep-frying)
• Whipped Feta Dip
• 80 g feta cheese (crumbled)
• 1/2 cup full fat plain yoghurt
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Salt and cracked black pepper to season

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the chickpeas overnight in double the volume cold water

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C

3. 3

   Cut the butternut or pumpkin 2cm chunks

4. 4

   Place on a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt and roast for about 30 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked and caramelised around the edges

5. 5

   Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

6. 6

   When cool, place the pumpkin pieces in a food processor with all the remaining ingredients, except the baking powder and chickpea flour

7. 7

   Blitz until just combined (not mushy or pasty)

8. 8

   Check the seasoning and place the mixture in a bowl

9. 9

   Add the baking powder and chickpea flour and mix until combined and place in the fridge for at least an hour

10. 10

    While the mixture chills make the whipped feta dip by placing all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until well combined

11. 11

    Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan (to reach at least 5cm up the sides of the pan) and test if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small bit of mixture into the oil. The mixture must start to sizzle and fry immediately.

12. 12

    Wet your hands and press the mixture into balls about the size of a walnut.

13. 13

    Fry in the oil in batches for 6 - 8 minutes until well browned and cooked through

14. 14

    Drain and serve while hot