Banana Blossom Falafel Patty with Vegan Spreads

Healthier plant based (meatless) patty is a simple fusion of Mediterranean Falafel and Indian Banana Blossom Vada/ vazhaipoo vadai reformed into these gratifying vegan patty. The earthy combination of legumes, blossoms and greens will keep you full and happy. It is sure to please both vegetarians and omnivores alike.

These baked patties are packed with protein, fiber and minerals that's good for you with every substantial bite. Moreover, the satisfaction of adding a bonus serving of all these vegan goodies to your loved ones is incomparable. I'm not a vegan yet, but slowly transforming into one with tasty and healthier options. 

Versatile and flavorful chickpeas (garbanzo beans) patties are crispy on the outside yet deliciously moist and tender enough that it wouldn't fall apart. Bread crumbs is added to the mixture to absorb moisture and the potatoes act as a binding ingredient in order to hold the patty well. Skipped the egg white and the flour batter to coat the patties. 

No hard and fast rules here; just stick in any of your favorite greens that you have handy. These patties are stupendous on toasted sourdough or simply wrap them in a warm pita/ flatbread. Watching your carbs or wanna keep it gluten-free? Chard, lettuce or blanched cabbage can be a better alternative to wrap up your goodies. 

The banana blossom I recieved online wasn't fresh enough to take a close shot of it. The process of cleaning the blossom isn't difficult at all. Removed the outer bracts and seperate the florets. Discard the pistil/ stigma as its bitter. Each florets has 6 stigma, tidentify the pistil look for the one with a head. Pick and discard it and you'll be good to go. The scalelike calyx is edible so you don't have to remove it. once you have removed all of the pistils; rinse and soak the florets in buttermilk to retain its color. I skipped it as my blossom was already discolored but truly edible.

My Ninja Foodi came in handy for convenience to bake these goodies. You may bake in your conventional oven, airfryer or shallow fry them in your skillet  on low-medium heat (covered) for the patties to cook through. 

These seriously satisfying patties might keep you away from going for seconds as its so filling. Easiest would be to freeze the leftover patties for another weekday's healthy yet fast food meal. On the other hand, I went a step further and converted them into South Indian Vada Curry. Baked falafel patties were cut lengthwise and dunk in a tasty curry accentuated with Indian spices and masala. I like to add a small quantity of homemade hummus or cooked dal as a thickening ingredient to my curry. 

Hummus and Avocado salsa verde spread makes a lovely touch with its flavors. The recipes are additions that you can opt to prepare them in just a split second. My spreads are delicious and quite chunky as I'm kinda texture snob ;) You can also go with the readily available tzatziki sauce which I skipped today to keep it vegan. 

Kick off your meatless days with these hearty patties we absolutely adore.


You might be interested in the following:
(Click on the "Title" linked to the recipe)



Black Urad Bean Burger





 

PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
*Soak time - 6-8 hours
Category:Main,Vegan, Fast food
Cuisine: Fusion
Level: Medium
Serves: 6 patties
Nutrition Facts
Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 226
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10 g16 %
Saturated Fat 1 g6 %
Monounsaturated Fat 6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg0 %
Sodium 246 mg10 %
Potassium 501 mg14 %
Total Carbohydrate 29 g10 %
Dietary Fiber 7 g26 %
Sugars 3 g
Protein 7 g15 %
Vitamin A79 %
Vitamin C41 %
Calcium12 %
Iron15 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
INGREDIENTS
Garbanzo beans/ Chickpeas/ kondai Kadalai/ Kabuli Chana - 1.5 cups (washed and soaked for 6-8 hours)

Hummus spread:
Soaked garbanzo beans from above - 1/2 cup
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 3- 4 cloves
Himalayan salt to taste
Chilli flakes - 1/4 tsp (adjust to your spice level)
Olive oil - 2 tablespoons

Guacamole Salsa/ Avocado Salsa Verde spread:
Avocado - 1/2 (peeled and pitted)
Green tomatoes - 2 nos medium sized (chopped)
Green chilli - 3-4 nos (chopped)
Pink salt to taste
Lime juice - 1/2 tsp
Onions - 1 tbsp (chopped)
Coriander leaves - 2 sprigs (chopped)

Falafel patty:
Part 1:
Soaked garbanzo beans - 1 cup
Urad dal/ split skinned black gram - 1/2 cup optional*
Banana Blossom - 1.5 cup (cleaned)*
Spinach leaves - 1.5 cups
Green chilly - 4 nos
Onion - 1/4 medium (chopped) - used red
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a dash
Salt to taste

Part 2:
Potato - 1 no (used Russel)
Bread crumbs- 1/2 + 1 cup
Olive/ Avocado oil for brushing

Part 3 :(toppings for sandwich):options
(not added to the nutrition facts)
Sourdough bread slices
Pickled radish (home made)
Pickled Artichokes
Scallions/ Green onions  (julienned)
Pepper jack Cheese slices 
DIRECTIONS
Pressure cook 1/2 cup of soaked garbanzo beans along with peeled potato cut into chunks in 2 cups of water. Once the steam releases, drain and set the potatoes aside for the patty preparation. Reserve the garbanzo beans for the hummus spread. 


Hummus spread:


The pressure cooked garbanzo beans along with the other ingredients mentioned goes straight into the food processor/ blender and pulse into a spreadable course consistency. Add required olive oil and scrape down the sides in between to attain even consistency. You may run it longer for smooth texture if you prefer.


Avocado Verde Salsa/ Guacamole salsa spread:


Drop in your tomatoes and green chillies in a mortar to crush it using the pestle. A course consistency is what we are looking for. Now add the lime juice and salt to give it a good mix.


Mash avocados using a fork and add to the above verde (green) salsa. Stir in the onions and coriander leaves and refrigerate covered until ready to be served.


Falafel patty:

Load up your blender/ food processor with all of the part 1 ingredients and grind it to a almost smooth consistency yet slight course.* 


Do not add any water while grinding as we do not want a puree. Push down the sides using a spatula at intervals for even grinding. Once done transfer to a large bowl.  


Mash the cooked potato using a masher or fork and add to the above. Sprinkle black pepper, asafoetida and salt to taste along with 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs. 

Mix and form into a big ball. If your mixture is moist and cant hold its shape, add more crumbs sparingly. Now, divide to form smaller balls (patty sized). You can make approximately 6 large patties.


In a plate or shallow bowl, add the bread crumbs for the patties to coat well for the crispy texture. Flip and roll the side as well on the bed of crumbs.


Using my Ninja foodie, I started off in the bake mode (350F) for 15 mins. Drizzled olive oil and placed the patties to bake. Once done, I flipped the patties and brushed/ spray with oil. Switched to airfryer mode for 5 mins for the top layer to crip as well.* I baked them in 2 batches. You can use your convection oven or a skillet (covered) on low medium heat for the patties to cook fully. 


Layer your sandwiches, veggie burgers or wraps using these patties and the spreads. I apply the spreads on the insides of my sourdough bread, topped with pickled radish, artichokes, scallions/ green onions and cheese slice. Stick in your favorite salad or cheese additionally and enjoy. Served with chips and mustard for additional flavors. 

NOTES AND TIPS
You can skip Urad dal and adjust the garbanzo/ chickpeas accordingly. 
Ensure you drain all the soaked and washed ingredients very well or your patties will end up like sloppy joes.
If using conventional oven, don't forget to preheat your oven.

Comments

  1. Looks delicious! The photos capture the dish very well. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sure you and your family will enjoy this version. Thanks Priya!

      Delete
  2. Yes!! Looked so good. I will follow this receipe for hummus as well and let you know. Fantastic!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Would love to hear from you as how it turned out... Thank you so much Kiru!

      Delete
  3. Awesome.. looks yummy n delicious. Presentation is excellent and step by step instructions is easy to follow. You always rock

    ReplyDelete
  4. You made my day Deepa! Glad to hear that the recipe is easy to follow. Do try and remember to share with me as how you liked it :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Feel free to drop in your feedbacks, suggestions and queries here or email me. © All copyrights reserved! Thank you for supporting my passion!