Awesome Raw Falafel

I will admit to being a huge falafel fan — and yet I know well that deep frying doesn’t serve my body. All I have to do to remember is eat a few. 😉 So I was thrilled to discover a raw version this week at my favorite Romanian restaurant, Samsara. Of course, everything Samsara offers is exquisite, but these are extra special.

Because I am on the road, I haven’t had a chance to play with using my convection oven as a dehydrator, but I hear from very reliable sources it works well. So there is no need to add another cooking tool and take up kitchen space. These falafels are the perfect summer supper — serve them up with sliced tomatoes and a garden fresh green salad.  

Ingredients

• 2 cups finely shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp minced garlic (optional)
• 3 tbsp minced yellow onion
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp curry powder 
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin, ground
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 1 cup sunflower seeds, raw

Directions

1. Into your food processor add the sunflower seeds, flax seeds, garlic, cumin, curry powder, salt, and pepper flakes, and process until well combined. 
2. Adding the onion and parsley, and pulse again until well combined. 
3. Add carrots as the final step, pulsing but leaving some texture.
4. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in sesame seeds until well combined. 
5. Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, prepare balls.  
6. Place the balls onto mesh sheets and dehydrate or place in a convection oven (140-160 degrees F) for 4-6 hours depending on the size of falafel. You will want them to be slightly crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. 

Serve with this cool and creamy cashew-tahini dip. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for six hours with cold water, or in hot water for one hour, drained
• Juice from a lemon 
• 2 heaping tablespoons of tahini
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1/4 cup of water, or more if needed
• Black cumin seeds

Blend all ingredients except cumin in blender, food processor or in a bowl using an immersion blender. Process until very smooth. Season to taste and sprinkle with black cumin seeds before serving. 

Enjoy!