Hubby and I rarely cook when we go away on holidays. On a recent holiday in the Victorian High Country, we discovered all the cafes and restaurants were closed one evening except an Indian restaurant. Hubby wasn’t keen to eat there and we almost drove back to the resort to go to bed hungry. A previous meal he’d ordered in an Indian restaurant was so spicy he’d gagged, and he thought he’d ordered a very mild dish. We don’t eat spicy food, but we had no choice, we were too hungry after hiking in the nearby mountains all day.

We ordered a mild thali, a meal with lots of little dishes and begged the waitress that we’d prefer the spices to be very very mild. The waitress laid the meal on our table and smiled. We looked at the pretty little brass bowls holding an array of colourful dishes. We glanced at each other and hesitantly took a bite. It was mild, it was delicious, the thali was a delicate fusion of flavours and we couldn’t thank the chef enough. We thanked the waitress over for guiding our choices and realised that the previous chef must have loved his spices and loved them hot.

These green felafels are mild in spice, use fave beans like the Egyptians do for green felafels instead of chickpeas with lots of herbs; mine use cauliflower with cumin and ginger, adapted Egyptian felafels if you will.

Health benefits:

·       Fave beans are dense with nutrition. They have no saturated fat or cholesterol and contain a high concentration of thiamine, vitamin K, vitamin B6, potassium, copper, selenium, zinc and magnesium. They are also an inexpensive source of lean protein.

·       Cauliflower can reduce the risk of cancer, heart and brain disorders, and relief from indigestion. The antioxidant power of cauliflower helps in strengthening the immune system.

BROAD BEAN FELAFELS

Makes 12 medium size balls

PB, V, GF, DF

340 g broad beans or 320 g edamame beans

½ cup cauliflower, shaved

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 shallots, diced

1 tsp (3 g) ground ginger

1 tbsp (9 g) sesame seeds

handful of fresh parsley

3-4 tbsp all-purpose flour or GF flour

pinch of sea salt

extra virgin olive oil

breadcrumbs for costing

Add all the ingredients in a food processor except flour. Pulse and mix to combine scraping down the sides as needed until thoroughly combined into a crumbly mixture (not a paste). Add the flour 1 tablespoon at a time until no longer wet and can be folded into a ball. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Transfer mixture to a bowl and chill to firm in the freezer for 45 minutes. Scoop tablespoons and gently form into balls. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Heat oil on medium heat. Cook the falafels for a total of 4-5 minutes, flipping when golden and repeat until crispy. Set on a paper towel to firm.

OPTIONAL: bake in a 200’C oven for 5-10 minutes after pan frying.

May be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days or frozen up to a month. (Thaw and reheat in 170’C oven for 15 minutes.

Falafels are best eaten immediately. Serve with a salad or with roasted vegetables, a burger or a pita or naan wrap.