spiced green healthy falafel
Deliciously spiced, easy to make and very green, these falafel are sure to be a hit. Falafel are traditionally deep fried, but we have baked them with just a brush of olive oil to make them healthier. They are spiced using a Zhoug paste from Belazu that is seasoned with coriander and jalapeño. It’s easily available from supermarkets. Serve these with a green salad for lunch or a light supper in the summer.
ingredients
makes 12 balls
300g chickpeas
50g peas (fresh or frozen)
1 spring onion
10g coriander
10g parsley
2 tablespoons Zhoug paste from Belazu
20g baby leaf spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
sesame seeds (optional)
method
prep time: 15 mins + 30 mins cooling in fridge
cook time: 15 mins
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Cook the peas in boiling water for 5 minutes until cooked.
Blend the chickpeas, peas, spring onion, herbs, spinach and Zhoug paste in a food processor until everything is mixed and will just hold its shape when formed into a ball.
Place the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Shape into balls and place on a lined baking tray. You could at this stage dip into sesame seeds if you wanted.
Brush with olive oil.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
the health boost tip
Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans as they are called in some parts of the world, are a fantastic source of fibre. Most of this fibre is in the form of insoluble fibre. This means that it passes into the colon virtually intact where our bacteria break it down into short chain fatty acids and provides support for our digestive tract. They are also a great source of molybdenum, manganese, folate and copper.
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