Recipes › Beetroot › Beetroot Falafel with Tahini Lemon Sauce
Beetroot Falafel with Tahini Lemon Sauce
Raw grated beetroot blended into the falafel mixture gives you a striking deep-crimson colour and a naturally sweet earthiness that works beautifully with chickpeas and warm spices. These are baked rather than fried, which makes them far easier to cook in a home kitchen without compromising the crisp exterior. Serve stuffed into flatbreads with plenty of the tangy tahini sauce.
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Ingredients
- 300 g raw beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated
- 400 g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, patted very dry
- 1 red onion, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 20 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 40 g plain flouruse chickpea flour to make gluten-free
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil, for brushing
- 80 g tahini
- 3 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 60 ml water
- 1 cloves garlic clove, crushed, for the sauce
- 4 flatbreads, to serve
Contains: cereals gluten, sesame.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and brush it generously with olive oil.
- Squeeze the grated beetroot in a clean tea towel or a few sheets of kitchen paper to remove as much moisture as possible. This step is critical — too much moisture and the falafel will not hold together.About 5 min
- Put the dried chickpeas, red onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika into a food processor. Pulse 15–20 times until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs — not a smooth paste. You want texture.About 5 min
- Transfer the chickpea mixture to a large bowl. Add the squeezed beetroot, flour, and salt. Mix together with your hands until evenly combined. The mixture should hold together when pressed — if it feels too wet, add another tablespoon of flour.About 5 min
- Divide the mixture into 16 equal portions (roughly 45g each) and shape into slightly flattened patties about 4cm across. Place on the prepared baking tray.About 5 min
- Brush the tops of the falafel with olive oil. Bake for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until firm, dark at the edges, and crisp on both sides.About 30 min
- While the falafel bake, make the tahini sauce. Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, crushed garlic, and water in a small bowl until you have a smooth, pourable sauce. Season with salt. If it seems too thick, add a little more water a teaspoon at a time.About 5 min
- Serve four falafel per person in warm flatbreads, drizzled generously with the tahini sauce.
Tips
- Squeezing the moisture from the grated beetroot is the single most important step. If you skip it or rush it, the falafel will be soft and will not crisp up in the oven.
- Do not over-process the chickpeas. If they become a paste, the falafel will be dense and stodgy rather than light with a bit of bite.
- The shaped uncooked falafel can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking, which makes this a great prepare-ahead meal.
Ring the changes
- Swap plain flour for chickpea flour throughout to make this recipe completely gluten-free.
- Add 30g of crumbled feta into the mixture for a non-vegan but richer, saltier falafel.
Keeping it
Cooked falafel keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on a baking tray at 180°C for 8–10 minutes to bring back the crispness — microwaving makes them soft. The tahini sauce keeps refrigerated for up to 5 days; stir well before serving.
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