Baked Pumpkin Falafel with Tahini Lemon Sauce

I positively adore falafel. That's not surprising as I adore little bites. I've experimented with many different kinds, including ones featuring quinoa, green peas and sweet potato. As it is pumpkin season, I figured that would just be the right mix with chickpeas and some spices. Certainly rather unorthodox, as I cooked the chickpeas before adding them to the mixture — often they are just soaked overnight and drained — and as I was combining everything, I thought, why not throw in some sun-dried tomatoes for an extra bit of flair. I also baked them instead of frying because I'm not a big fan of oily foods. Moist with a slightly crisp exterior, these mildly spiced falafels just might be a new favorite.

I will say that these were a big hit when I served them up last weekend for dinner along with some homemade spelt tortillas and a tahini sauce that was actually cheesy despite being completely vegan. I added some nutritional yeast, along with the garlic, tahini and tart lemon juice.

I typically always have roasted pumpkin pur�e in the freezer for several months after fresh pumpkin is no longer available, but you could use canned pumpkin pur�e as long as it isn't spiced or sweetened, or sweet potato or other squash if you prefer.

Baked Pumpkin Falafel with Tahini Lemon Sauce

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Middle Eastern Published on November 12, 2015 Soft creamy spiced chickpea and pumpkin falafels served with a tangy tahini lemon sauce Print this recipe Ingredients: 2/3 cup dried chickpeas (2 cups cooked) 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin pur�e 1 small red onion, chopped 1 jalape�o, seeded and chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 cup chickpea flour (besan), or as needed Ingredients: 1/2 cup tahini 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 2 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil water to thin as needed sea salt to taste Instructions: Rinse the chickpeas and soak for 8 hours or overnight in several inches of water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until soft. Drain and transfer to a food processor. Meanwhile, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and chop. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, pumpkin pur�e, onion, jalape�o, garlic, parsley, olive oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili flakes, cinnamon, cardamon and salt to the food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the chickpea flour. The mixture should be soft but not too moist. Adjust the flour as needed. Chill in a refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes. Preheat an oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape the falafel mixture into small 1-inch balls. Bake for 15 minutes, gently turn them over, and bake for another 10 minutes until golden. To make the sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl until creamy. Add water as needed to thin out the mixture. Makes 18 1-inch falafels

Other falafel recipes to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Baked Quinoa Falafel Bites
Sweet Potato Falafel
Green Pea Falafel