Herby pistachio falafel

I have recently moved out west and have finally found time to visit the Avondale farmers market. It was quite fabulous - I don't think I have ever seen so many vegetables in one place in Auckland before, or so many people buying vegetables for that matter - it does pay to get there early! After walking up and down the rows of stalls, trying to figure out who was doing the best deal, I eventually decided to stop worrying about prices and just buy the most beautiful produce instead. I think it worked out alright... especially because we managed to make a tasty dish out of the expedition.

This dish is extremely light and fresh which is perfect given we are making our way out of winter. We find baking falafel is far easier than pan frying (as with the meatballs we posted the other week). These falafels are nutty, lemony and delicious and great for packing in your lunch. What's more you can make double the mixture and freeze for later on down the track. Enjoy!

You'll need:

Falafel
70g pistachio nuts (you can use other nuts instead if you like, or any form of flour you'd prefer)
1 can (400g) chickpeas, washed and drained
2 cloves garlic
1 small red onion
½ cup mint
½ cup parsley
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander
½ tsp paprika
3 Tbsp olive oil
rind ½ lemon
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

Kale slaw
4 carrots
2 small beetroot/1 large
6 stems kale (I used the non-curly variety)
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
½ cup mint chopped finely
½ cup coriander chopped finely
100g roasted hazelnuts

Tahini sauce
4 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp of lemon juice
1/2 garlic clove, finely crushed
salt, pepper
water to thin

To make:

Falafel

1. Preheat oven to 200°C
2. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
3. Put pistachios and herbs in a food processor and pulse till crumbly.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and blend for thirty seconds, scraping down sides when necessary. You want the mixture a bit rough.
5. Using your hands, form 20 small round falafels, place them on the baking tray and flatten slightly.
6. Bake them for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until browned.

Kale slaw

1. Chop your vegetables finely and toss together with sesame seeds. (I have a handy basic peeler that happen to julienne my carrots/beetroot. I recommend them, they are about $10 and make salads a bit snazzy).
2. Whisk together the dressing ingredients then add water a little by little and stir until desired consistency. Pour the dressing over your vegetables and mix well (hands can be useful with this exercise). (You can make extra dressing to put on top of your falafels if you wish- I make this with less water).
3. Roast your hazelnuts in a pan on medium-low heat. Toast until the skin has cracked and they turn golden. Coarsely chop and scatter on top of the slaw.

Serve together as in the pictures or you can use these for separate dishes.