Sweet Potato Falafel

Are you looking for a sweet potato falafel recipe? Look no further. Using sweet potato as a base is a fun new way to incorporate extra veggies and a little sweetness to your falafel. Add these crispy sweet potato falafel with quinoa in your salad, on pita bread or enjoy as a snack with some hummus.

I’m a big fan of falafel. When I am in Amsterdam, I always go to one of those hole-in-the-wall falafel joints to treat myself to a huge pita bread filled with crispy falafel, pickled veggies, garlic sauce and chillies. I think it would be a great idea if someone could start a food truck with different types of Caribbean falafel. It makes me hungry just thinking about it. And if you are that person, please feel free to use this version with sweet potato and quinoa. It’s delicioso!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups (400g) sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated

½ cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup(25g) parsley

1 cup(25g) cilantro

1 tablespoon jalapeño, chopped

4 cloves of garlic

½ tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1 cup(175g) cooked quinoa (1/3 cup uncooked)

6 tablespoons (35g) chickpea flour

Vegetable oil, for frying

Preparation:

Place the sweet potato, pumpkin seeds, parsley, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, spices and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process into a smooth paste. Add the quinoa and chickpea flour and process briefly to combine. Season to taste.
Roll into small patties of about 2 tablespoons (35g) each. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry the patties, in batches, for 3-4 minutes until crisp and browned.
Serve immediately with pita bread and cilantro tahini sauce. You can store any leftover non-fried patties in the fridge or freezer. I don’t think that will be necessary though, because these are quite tasty.