Sweet Potato Falafel Recipe
with roasted garlic tahina & pickled cabbage
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Sweet Potato Falafel
Roasted Garlic Tahina
Quick Pickled Cabbage
To Serve
Method
Sweet Potato Falafel
- 1
Soak and prep chickpeas
Place 1 cup dried chickpeas in a bowl and cover with at least 3 inches of cold water. Soak 8–12 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before using. (Do not use canned chickpeas — drained canned ones are too soft.)
- 2
Cook sweet potato
If not already cooked, pierce a medium sweet potato and roast at 400°F (200°C) about 45 minutes until tender, or microwave until soft. Scoop and mash to measure 1 cup. Let cool.
- 3
Process falafel mixture
In a food processor, add drained soaked chickpeas (do not cook), 1 cup mashed sweet potato, 1/2 cup roughly chopped yellow onion, 1/2 cup packed parsley, 1/4 cup packed cilantro, and 2 garlic cloves. Pulse until coarsely combined but not pureed — mixture should hold together but still have texture (10–15 pulses). Scrape down sides as needed.
- 4
Season and bind
Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp black pepper (or 1/2 tsp ground black pepper), 1 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, and 1/2 cup flour (or chickpea flour). If mixture seems sticky and wet, add up to 2–3 tbsp more flour. Chill for 20–30 minutes to firm up.
- 5
Form falafel
Use a 2-tablespoon scoop or your hands to form balls or flattened patties (about 1.5–2 inches diameter). Press gently so they hold together but aren’t overly compacted.
- 6
Pan-fry falafel
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. When hot, add falafel patties without overcrowding. Cook 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp, pressing gently once to flatten slightly. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and keep warm in a low oven if making in batches.
Roasted Garlic Tahina
- 7
Roast garlic
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice top off a small garlic head to expose cloves, drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil, wrap in foil and roast 30–35 minutes until soft and caramelized. Let cool, then squeeze out 2 teaspoons roasted garlic paste (or more to taste).
- 8
Mix tahina sauce
In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup stirred tahini with 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp roasted garlic paste, 3 tbsp warm water (add more to reach desired consistency), 1 tsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp ground cumin (optional). Whisk vigorously — the sauce will first thicken then smooth out. Adjust salt, lemon or water to taste. Keep chilled until serving.
Quick Pickled Cabbage
- 9
Prepare brine
In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional). Heat just until sugar and salt dissolve, then remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- 10
To Serve
- 11
Assemble
Warm pita or flatbreads. Spread a spoonful of roasted garlic tahina on each bread, add 2–3 sweet potato falafel patties, top with a generous handful of pickled cabbage and a sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs. Drizzle with extra tahina and a little olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.
- 12
Storage
Falafel keep refrigerated up to 3 days and re-crisp in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 8–10 minutes. Tahina lasts 5–7 days refrigerated. Pickled cabbage lasts about 5 days.