Falafel is one of the greatest PR success stories. A deep fried can of chickpeas has successfully marketed itself as a vegan superfood and it’s impressive. It’s also delicious but not something I was willing to make at home. If I’m going to spend time making a health food from scratch, it better be healthy. Also, let’s be real, I’m not about to sacrifice my kitchen for a deep fry project.
Over the past couple weeks, so many accounts I follow have posted stories highlighting Black food bloggers. It’s opened my eyes to so many chefs and bakers I never knew about who have some serious talent and some seriously delicious looking recipes. The first recipe that caught my eye was this falafel from Jenné Claiborne of Sweet Potato Soul. There’s no deep frying and the falafel mixture is half chickpea and half sweet potato, making this health food actually healthy.
The recipe is pretty simple, some light pulsing in a food processor and then into the oven to bake. The balls held their shape well and the sweet potato was a delicious addition that makes you feel like you’re not just eating a can of chickpeas, ya know? The texture is pretty similar to ‘real’ falafel and trust me, you won’t miss the deep fry. I took hints from her meal prep suggestion and served with roasted veggies, pita and yogurt sauce. Pairs well with sriracha if you also can’t resist the urge to make things spicy.
Rating: 9.5/10
Dishes: Moderate
Would make again: Yep
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