Here’s a new twist on the traditional falafel recipe: sweet potato falafel! They are super moist and we serve them with a creamy feta yogurt sauce and pistachio date bulgur salad. Say hello to a super filling vegetarian dinner that everyone will love!
Falafel Origin
Falafel is originally from the Middle East, but some people say it was first created in Egypt more than 1 000 years ago. It’s a deep-fried ball or fritter made from chickpeas, fresh herbs and spices.
How to Cook Sweet Potato Falafel?
The typical technique calls for deep frying in order to get crispy falafel on the outside and moist texture on the inside. We can also bake the falafel for a healthier version. See cooking techniques below recipe card.
Conservation
- Fridge: keep in the fridge from 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer friendly: freeze up to 3 months. Make sure the falafels cooled down completely before freezing them.
Can you prepare the falafel in advance?
Yes!!! You can prepare the batter in advance and place it in the fridge 1-2 days. This way, you’ll just need to make the balls and cook them afterward.
Sweet Potato Falafel with Creamy Feta Sauce
4
servings25
minutes30
minutesHere’s a new twist on the traditional falafel recipe: sweet potato falafel! This falafel is super moist and we serve it with a creamy feta yogurt sauce and pistachio date bulgur salad. Say hello to a super filling vegetarian dinner that everyone will love!
Ingredients
- Sweet potato falafel
1 cup of mashed sweet potato (about 1 potato)
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed (540ml-19oz)
⅓ cup of all purpose flour (or gluten free flour see notes)
½ red onion, cut into cubes
1 handful of fresh coriander leaves
1 tsp of paprika powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
1 tsp of coriander powder
½ tsp of salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
Oil for cooking
- Feta Sauce
1 ½ cup of plain greek yogurt (2%)
¾ cup of crumbled feta cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
- Bulgur Salad
1 cup of uncooked bulgur or couscous
½ cup of fresh mint, shredded
4 Medjool dates, cut into cubes
½ cup of pistachios, diced
Zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½ lemon
Drizzle of olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the bulgur or couscous according to packaging instructions. Let it cool down completely.
- Prepare the falafel batter. Add all the ingredients to a food processor (except the cooking oil). Blend for about 30 seconds. You want to get a tick texture, but make sure you don’t over blend it.
- Use your hands or ice cream scoop to form the falafel into 16 balls or patties. Place on a baking pan in the fridge.
- Rince the food processor with water. Prepare the feta sauce. Combine all the ingredients until you get a creamy texture. Set aside.
- Prepare the bulgur salad. Mix all the ingredients to a big bowl with the cooked bulgur. Season well.
- Cook the falafel. See the cooking techniques below.
- Serve it: spread the sauce first, add the salad and cooked falafel on top. Garnish with fresh mint and drizzle olive oil. Serve with naan breads (optional)
Notes
- If you’re using gluten-free flour, you might need to adapt the quantities.
- To make your own naan breads, try my No Yeast Naan Bread (Ready in no time!)
Sweet Potato Falafel: Cooking techniques
Fry in oil
- Heat about 1 inch of neutral oil (vegetable oil or avocado oil) in a medium pan.
- Make sure the oil is hot (we’re looking for a 350F temperature) and gently fold falafel balls.
- Cook for 6 minutes, turning every 2 minutes or so to make sure they are cooked on each side. Make sure you leave enough space between falafel balls while cooking. I suggest cooking the falafel in 2 batches.
- Transfer to a plate with a paper towel to remove any excess oil.
Oven baked falafel
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Place the falafel on a baking pan and brush the baking sheet as well as falafel with olive oil.
- Cook the falafel for about 30 minutes until cooked through.
Using an air fryer
- Add olive oil to the basket of your air fryer.
- Drop the falafel on the basket, leaving space between them.
- Cook at 375F for 15 minutes, turning half way through.
