This pumpkin falafel recipe is very similar to a traditional falafel, with an extra vegetable snuck in and a great way to use up and post Halloween leftover pumpkin without it going to waste.
Made with warm spices and the option to bake or fry, this recipe is a great way to sneak in some extra vegetables for the kids too.
Want falafel burgers? You can follow the prep the same way, just shallow fry them for 3-5 minutes on each side rather than deep frying them. This recipe will serve 6-8 burgers.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
This batch makes approximately 12 large falafels (as pictured) or 18 regular sized falafels.
The following information is per third of the recipe, so either four large or six regular sized falafels. And this is based on the falafels alone, as there are two cooking options, the overall values will vary depending on the method you opt for.
Each third of a recipe contains 227 calories, 7g of fibre and 7g of protein along with a third of your daily vitamin A, an eighth of your daily folate and vitamin 6 and 15% of the recommended daily amount of calcium.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Any of the gluten free ingredients in this recipe can be substituted for gluten containing equivalents of the same value. Of course, this recipe is specifically for pumpkin, but if you’re seeing this long after spooky season and you don’t have a culinary pumpkin available to you, you can substitute the pumpkin for butternut squash or sweet potato.
DOES IT KEEP AND HOW TO REHEAT?
You can store the premade mix in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days before cooking, either as a batch or in pre-prepared balls/ burgers etc.
Once cooked, you can also store in the fridge for up to three days. You can eat your cooked falafels cold or if you wish to reheat, preheat your oven to 400°F/ 200°C and cook for 5-7 minutes to warm through.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Serve in a salad, in a wrap, in a mezze bowl or dip in your favourite tahini dressing or hummus.
PUMPKIN FALAFEL RECIPE
Traditional fried chickpea falafel recipe with warm spices and added pumpkin for some extra nutrients.
This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, nut free and vegan.
Pumpkin Falafel Recipe
A falafel recipe using warm spices and seasonal pumpkin to add some extra nutrients to the classic dish.
Course Appetizer, Mains
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Keyword Falafel Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 18 Falafels
Calories 38 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked pumpkin peeled
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 4 heaped tbsp gluten free plain flour OR gram flour
- 2/3 cup GF breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and mix until smooth. The amount of flour/ breadcrumbs you’ll require will depend on how much moisture is in your squash and chickpeas prior to adding them, so try to make them as dry as possible. And add the breadcrumbs a third of a cup at a time.
- Check the texture and add more flour or breadcrumbs if required.
- Shape into balls/ patties with your hands. I used roughly one heaped tbsp of mix per falafel.
- Fill a medium saucepan 3 inches up with oil. Heat the oil on medium-high until it bubbles softly. Carefully drop the falafel patties in the oil, let them fry for about 5 minutes or so until crispy and medium brown on the outside. Avoid crowding the falafel in the saucepan, fry them in batches if necessary.
- Place them on a paper towel to drain slightly before serving.
