Janice Tripepi

I just LOVE Saturdays!  TrickyRicky stops off at Essenwood Market in Musgrave Road and brings me a falafel and salad wrap home for lunch.  It feels like such an indulgence when I sink my teeth into those spicy little balls!  Last weekend Karmie and I decided to go and do a really long and intense workout in the gym, followed by a leisurely shower and then off to the beach for breakfast.

Winter is flirting with us early in Durban.  Our mornings are fresh and getting up early is such a pleasure.  We were greeted with the most spectacular day and the beach was simply magical.  The sea was wearing her favourite diamond necklace that sparkled with such lustre as to take ones breath away.  All in all, it was a perfect day.  The only problem was that TrickyRicky had meetings and was unable to make it to the market!  NO falafel!

You know what they say about when the going gets tough?  By Sunday I could think of absolutely NOTHING but falafels and came up with these!

Beetroot Falafel Burgers

Makes 4 patties

I made a batch of light beef burgers for TrickyRicky at the same time and served both up in pita breads with a roasted tomatoe and brinjal relish.  The carnivore inside TrickyRicky simply couldn’t get his head around a meatfree Sunday, so needs must.  I will post the light and lean burger recipes as well as the relish recipe next.

Ingredients

1 tin – 218g chick peas (264 calories)

2T flour (64 calories)

1 red onion finely chopped (57 calories)

139g cooked beetroot cut into a small dice (111 calories)

50ml coriander (5 calories)

2tsp ground coriander (10 calories)

1tsp ground cumin (8 calories)

1-2tsp ground chilli (8 calories)

2tsp finely chopped chili (8 calories)

5ml olive oil (40calories)

Salt & pepper

Total = 575 calories which is only 144 calories per patty

Method

Gently fry the chopped garlic and red onion in the olive oil until they are translucent.

Add the ground chili, cumin and coriander to the pan and roast the spices for about 1 minute.

This helps to bring out all of the flavour of the spices.

Drain the chick peas and place into your food processor together with the flour, fresh coriander, ground cumin and coriander, chopped chili, salt and pepper

Pulse about 4 times – so that the mixture is not quite a paste.  I prefer a little texture in my patty so by all means blitz to a smooth paste if you prefer.

Check for seasoning and fold in the diced beetroot.

Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts.  Roll each quarter into a ball and flatten with your hand to form a nicely shaped patty.

You could dry fry these patties in a non-stick pan if you wish but I added a spray of olive oil a pan and fried them.

These puffy little sweet and spicy patties are really quite filling.  You won’t be able to manage two but my goodness did they hit my spot ……

So what is the total calorie count of a Falafel Beetroot Burger served in a pita with rocket and my brinjal and tomato relish

Falafel Burger 144 calories

Pita Bread 77 calories

Brinjal & Tomato Relish 42 calories

rocket leaves  10 calories

Total 273 calories!  I have 1728 calories a day which I divide up into 500 calories per meal and a snack – so you can see 273 calories is wonderfully low!

Click here to Try these Spicy Falafel Wraps

I lost 1,2kg’s last week!

As always

Buon appetito

Jan

xx