I’ve been wanting to make a version of falafels with edamame instead of chickpeas for a long time, and today was the day! I absolutely love edamame. I still remember the first time I tried them. I was in a fancy sushi restaurant in California and there was hardly anything vegan on the menu, but I saw that these were just soybeans and so I ordered them. I had no idea you couldn’t eat the outside, and I tried to just elegantly eat the whole thing! Kindly, someone at the table showed me how to just eat the beans from the shell- I will never forget that experience! Luckily, it didn’t put me off and I love using edamame in recipes or just eating them as they are.
These turned out really lovely, even better than usual falafels (says the chickpea addict!) They work great with the light fresh salad and this dressing is excellent on pretty much everything, including these! Enjoy!
GREEN EDAMAME FALAFELS WITH SESAME, ORANGE & CARROT SALAD
Edamame Falafel Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups freshly shelled cooked edamame beans
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 small zucchini grated
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons buckwheat flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Place all ingredients in your food processor and process until the mixture comes together, it should be quite smooth and very thick.
Roll into small balls, coat in sesame seeds and place on a lightly oiled baking tray.
Cook for 20 minutes, give them a little shake on the tray halfway through so they cook all over evenly.
Sesame Orange & Carrot Salad Ingredients:
- 1 large carrot grated
- 1 cup fresh rocket leaves
- 2 tablespoons almond flakes
- 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped coriander
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- salt and pepper to season
Method:
While the falafels cook, make the salad. Grate the carrot into a large bowl and then add all other ingredients. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tahini Cumin Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 ½ tablespoons tahini
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped ginger
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon coconut milk
- ½ tablespoons water
Method:
Place all ingredients in a small bullet blender and blend until smooth and creamy, adding just enough water to reach your desired consistency. If you don’t have a small bullet blender, just whisk in a small bowl until smooth.
To serve, place the salad into two bowls, top with falafels and drizzle generously with the dressing. Garnish with extra coriander and sesame seeds.