Baked pumpkin falafels

Step 1

If using fresh pumpkin, peel it, cut into equal size cubes and coat in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Roast in a 200° C / 390° F oven until soft, it takes about half an hour, turning the pieces over 15 minutes in.

Step 2

Rinse your soaked chickpeas and grind them quite finely (see photo) in a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl - don't wash your food processor just yet.

Step 3

Place baked pumpkin and sliced garlic in the food processor and process until smooth. If using ready made puree, simply grate the garlic finely into the bowl with ground chickpeas.

Step 4

Transfer pumpkin puree to the bowl with chickpeas, add salt, dry spices and flour and mix very well. Start off with 2 tbsp of flour and add 2 more if needed. The mixture is meant to be very wet. As long as you are able to form patties, there is no need to add more flour as the falafels will end up dry inside. Place in the fridge for several hours (or freezer for an hour) to firm up.

Step 5

Put sesame seeds on a plate. Using your hands, gently form small falafels out of the mixture (mine were 20 g each). Once shaped, dip your hand in sesame seeds and press them into the falafel with your fingers. Do that several times until the falafel is nicely coated on all sides.

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 200° C / 390° F. Brush a bit of olive oil onto a baking tray and place falafels on it, making sure they do not touch. Bake for 10 minutes on one side, then using a spatula flip onto the other side and bake for another 10 minutes. They are done when the exterior is crispy and golden.

Step 7

In a bowl, mix tahini with lemon juice and a splash of water.

Step 8

Add a bit more water to achieve a pourable consistency. Season with salt and pepper.