Autumn is here, Autumn is there, Autumn is everywhere and that too in full swing! So !!
I already sneezed quite few times, and I had my flu shot, so from now on double dose of Chai Masala in our tea!
I am not sad that summer is gone, I have many reasons to welcome autumn with open arms. I won’t be too hot when the sun shines, it will be just right! No more creepy crawlies in the house and no more hay fever. Okay no more ice creams and smoothies but hot and cosy drinks are back on the menu.
Mornings are golden and crispy, and best highlight of this season is trees with red and golden leaves, they look so pretty, there are leaves to kick and the grounds are positively gleaming as beautiful autumn keep adding more and more vibrant colours to the landscape, reminds me of a Bollywood movie Mohabbatein and it’s posters 🙂
Vegetable patches and farmers markets are flooding with autumn produces, in short autumn has spread it’s wings upon us, and entered in our homes and kitchen too, so now for us time to embrace the autumn activities indoors and outdoors.
Autumn lead us more towards to the winter but in a pretty cool way. Halloween party, Bonfire Night, costumes and loads of sweets. Autumn also brings many Indian festivals like Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali. Lot’s of fun starts with beautiful fireworks and glorious food !! Every celebration screams for satisfying and yummy food, and it will be more delicious when prepared with the seasonal produce.
If you’re looking for a versatile autumn produce , certainly winter squash and pumpkin does the trick. From soups to pie, warm salads to curries and beverages, we can find this seasonal most favourite in all kinds of dishes.
We have been enjoying various kind of dishes like Harissa roasted kabocha and carnival squash, roasted acorn squash with yogurt , Baked acorn squash with chestnut, Pumpkin and goat cheese salad and last but no t least Butternut Squash and Spinach curry.
What I have for you today is a healthy, hearty pan-seared, party dish with fire and spice and a hint of sweetness. Our family favourite dish Pumpkin falafel, not fried but pan-seared served with wholemeal Lebanese flatbread, fresh salad and topped with chilli chutney tzatziki.
Pumpkin cut with a good knife and skilled hands, then tossed with a blend of olive oil, cinnamon and other spices. The sweetness and nutty flavour of the pumpkin flesh is balanced by the fiery heat of chilli and earthy depth of both cumin, coriander and soaked chickpeas. Once mixed with spices and herbs, rolled them up into small balls and cooked and roasted in a Paniyaram pan with very less oil. Once done, Crispy falafel layered on a flatbread, mixed greens , red onion , hummus and sprinkle of hot and creamy Chilli Chutney Tzatziki adds a pop of zing ! ( I mixed spoon of chilli chutney in a bowl of Tzatziki )
Whip up these warm and comfort pumpkin falafel for friends and family any day, these bite-size falafel will be winner, trust me !!
Sometimes I make in large quantity and freeze it for 2-3 weeks. Whenever feel like having them just pop them in hot oven and bake them for 25-30 minutes.
Notes :- Butternut squash can be used instead of pumpkin. If you do not have paniyaram pan, make small patties and pan fry them on a very low heat on the stove or bake them in the oven.
LIGHT PUMPKIN FALAFEL
ingredients:
- 400 g Pumpkin peeled and seeded
- 2 tbsp + 4 tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 tsp. Chilli flakes
- 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp. Fennel seeds crushed
- per taste Sea salt
- 1 Red onion chopped
- 3-4 Garlic cloves
- 2-3 tbsp. Fresh parsley and coriander
- 2 tsp. Cumin and coriander powder
- 1 tsp Red chilli powder
- 1 tsp. Lemon juice
- 3-4 tbsp. Wholemeal bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp. Chickpea flour dry roasted
- 250g Soaked and drained chickpeas
instructions:
How to cook LIGHT PUMPKIN FALAFEL
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 6.
- Cut the pumpkin into 3-4 cm pieces.
- In a bowl add olive oil, salt, cinnamon, chilli flakes and fennel seeds.
- Mix and add pumpkin pieces, transfer it on the oven tray and bake about 20-25 minutes.
- Leave it to cool for a while.
- Once cool place roasted pumpkin in a blender together with all the remaining ingredients except the flour, breadcrumbs and oil.
- Blitz to a rough paste.
- Transfer the mixture into a bowl, now add bread crumbs and enough flour to make a smooth mix.
- Refrigerate the falafel mix to firm a little.
- Once you are ready to make, make ping pong ball-shaped sizes, heat the paniyaram pan add few drops of oil.
- Cook the falafel balls in a pan for 6-7 minutes on a very low heat till crispy and little brown.
- You can semi cook falafel in a paniyaram pan, then bake them in the oven.
- Once ready, serve hot.
- Enjoy!
NOTES:
Did you make this recipe?
I love to cook everything from scratch most of the time, including complicated recipes too. Love to accept challenges in cooking. The harder the recipe, the more I want to make it. There were many dishes, which I thought I’ll never able to make, now I have succeeded in making them.
I clearly remember the day I successfully fried Bhakarwadi and turned out so well, almost I wanted to knock on our neighbour’s door and wanted to tell them that Look what I have achieved ? But waited patiently for kids and husband to come home to be get praised 🙂
Bhakarwadi is popular Maharashtrian spicy snack , normally is deep fried, which requires little more effort, also very popular in Gujarati households too. Many houses prepare them regularly and have it with their evening tea. Bhakarwadi is a good snack to carry with you whilst you are travelling and has good shelf life(in my home no shelf life at all,lol they don’t even survive before going on any shelf).
There are two types of Bhakarwadi recipes out there, Bhakarwadi and Dry Bhakarwadi, however Dry Bhakarwadi is hugely popular. In normal Bhakarwadi Onion, Garlic and fresh coriander leaves are added where in Dry Bhakarwadi Gram flour sev ( spicy noodles ) , garlic and tamarind chutney added, because of Tamarind and Gram flour these Bhakarwadi filling stays dry and also stays for longer too, I did not add any Garlic in this recipe to keep this recipe Onion Garlic free but added dried coriander leaves.
So, let’s see how I baked delicious and mouth watering Dry Bhakarwadi which has loads and loads of yummy flavours. With little extra care and effort, you can have these healthy wadis in your home.
Notes:- If you do not have sev, take 100 g besan, add chilli and turmeric powder, salt and oil. Make batter adding little water and make small BHAJIYA and fry in oil. Let it cool completely then grind in a mixer and make coarse flour. Add this instead of sev.
To make dry coriander leaves, wash and pat dry coriander leaves with kitchen towel. In a plate lay washed coriander leaves on a kitchen paper for 24 hours. they will dry.
You will need :- Upper Dough layer
- Gram Flour or Besan – 400 g
- Chapatti flour – 200 g + 2 tbsp. for dusting
- Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp.
- Turmeric Powder – 3/4 tsp.
- salt to taste
- Oil – 3-4 tbsp.
You will need :- filling
1/2 cup thin sadi sev recipe here
2 tbsp sesame seeds roasted
2 tbsp kus kus roasted ( white poppy seeds )
4 tbsp. dessicated coconut roasted
2 tbsp. roasted peanuts
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
1 tbsp. garam masala
2 tbsp. red chilli powder
2 tbsp. ground coriander and cumin ( dhana jeera powder )
1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
salt to taste
3-4 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. dry coriander leaves
3-4 tbsp. very thick tamarind chutney
Pinch amchoor powder
3-4 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. + 1/2 tsp. lemon juice and water mixed
Method :- Dough Combine both flour , salt, chilli and turmeric powder and oil. Add water by a tablespoon in each interval until you make firm dough. Keep covered for 20-25 minutes or until you see white spots on the surface of dough.
Meanwhile preheat oven gas mark 5. Grind all the filling ingredients in a blender except oil and tamarind chutney. At this stage filling is quite dry, add oil and 1-2 tbsp. tamarind chutney and bring mixture together, by doing this filling will be little moist, (but not very moist) and won’t fell out while you’re handling the Bhakarwadi.
Divide the dough into equal portions and roll out into a large thin chapatti ( round disk ).
Spread thinly very little tamarind chutney and filling over each chapatti, and gently press with the spoon. Do not spread it all the way to the edge and do not over stuff either.
Take very little water and lemon juice mix, and apply with your finger on the edge of the chapatti. This method will help to stick and seal the edges nicely.
Now fold the 1/4 inch of left and right of chapatti over stuffing gently but tightly roll the chapatti into cylinder shape, making sure no stuffing oozing out or your nails don’t dig into dough and make holes 🙂
Cut into 1″ or 1.5″ bite size pieces.
Take little oil and grease baking tray. Place cut Bhakarwadi pieces onto greased baking tray.
Now brush the oil top of the placed Bhakarwadi thinly and bake about 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes turn the baking tray otherside, and bake further 10-12 minutes until they are brown and crispy.
Let it cool completely at room temperature.
Serve with tea or any cold drinks.
Store in an airtight container if there is leftovers.
Thank you for stopping by and reading this post ! We hope to see you again soon 🙂
