Baked Beetroot Falafel with lemon thyme sauce

For a while, I've thought about combining my favourite two things- beetroot and falafel, so with an almost empty fridge but an abundance of beetroot, it's the perfect time. 

I love the sweet, earthy flavour of beetroot and eat it most days, usually in my lunchtime salad. Beetroot is beautifully in season at the moment, so expect it to be delicious, fresh and kind on the pocket. The root vegetable is too often associated with the sharp taste of vinegar- the crinkled type you find in jars- but the naked, fresh 'how it's grown to be' beetroot has soared in popularity due to it's health benefits and has been crowned a 'superfood'. Beetroots are rich in antioxidants, iron and folic acid and their red-pink appearance is a beautiful addition to any plate. 

As you know, I'm all about moderation. I enjoy a few cheeky treats so aim to cook and eat well most of the time. I usually shallow fry falafel in a little sunflower oil, but I decided to bake these because as the mixture is quite moist to start. The falafel crisp up beautifully, giving that authentic bite before you reach the fluffy, fragrant centre. The sweet earthyness of the beetroot teamed with the perfumed cumin meets the subtle smoked paprika and gentle heat of red chilli. Team with a cool tahini, lemon and thyme sauce and wrap in a warm, soft tortilla. 

The tastiest way to eat seasonal beetroot. 

Makes about 10 falafel 

Ingredients
For the falafel: 
1 tbsp olive oil 
1 onion, chopped finely 
2 cloves of garlic, crushed 
1 small red chilli, chopped 
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
150g cooked beetroot, drained, chopped roughly (aprox 3 small beetroots, I used vac-packed)
2 tsp cumin 
1 tsp smoked paprika 
1 tsp sesame seeds
Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped 
4 tbsp plain flour
Sprinkle of pink rock salt 

For the lemon thyme sauce: 
3 tbsp tahini 
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon 
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped finely 

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/ Gas mark 6 

2. In a pan, heat the olive oil and onion until softened but not browned for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further 1-2 minutes 

3. Add the chickpeas, beetroot, cumin, paprika, sesame seeds and coriander to a high powered blender. Pour in the onion mixture. Blend on high until smooth, a few small lumps remaining is OK. 

4. Add 2 tbsp of the flour to the falafel mix and stir through. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tbsp flour on a work surface. Scoop tbsp sized amounts of the mixture onto the floured work surface and roll lightly in the flour to form a flattened ball. Place onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Increase the temperature to 220C/ Gas mark 7 and bake for a further 10 minutes. 

5. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes to crisp up. In the meantime, make the lemon thyme sauce by combining the tahini, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and thyme and whisking until combined. 

6. Serve the falafel on warm, soft tortillas and drizzle with the sauce 

Enjoy! 

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