Okay, I dragged my feet a little, I’ll admit, but I am finally ready to embrace the pumpkin season. Despite trying to hold on to summer for as long as I could possibly get away with, I actually love autumn – could it be because I am an October child? Possibly.
I love warm autumn sunshine, colourful leaves rustling underfoot, the smell of bonfires and pumpkins. Of course, I love pumpkins! It’s hard not to! They are sweet, satiating, go nicely with spicy things and sour things and they make delicious desserts too. So I am kicking pumpkin things off with a handy recipe for baked pumpkin falafels that are easy to make, healthy and make a tasty lunch centrepiece. They are a perfect pitta filler or a great way to bulk up a salad bowl. They sit really well alongside a hefty dollop of hummus, pickles, fresh salad, a simple tahini sauce and a drizzle of chilli sauce or oil (if you feel that way inclined). They are filling and full of plant protein. They are not difficult to make but the mixture is a touch messy to work with, so be warned. The reason being in order for the falafels not to end up dry once baked, the mixture has to be rather wet. I am using raw, soaked chickpeas that cook in the pumpkin puree as the mixture firms up in the oven. The end result is a pattie that is hard on the outside and soft in the middle. If you don’t like getting your hands dirty, simply use two spoons to give your falafels a more organic shape – problem solved. Hope you’ll enjoy these!
2 tbsp tahini ½ lemon, juice only salt and pepper to taste
