Makes: 12-15
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
These baked sprouted falafels make a tasty addition to your kid’s lunchbox, providing them with much-needed protein, complex carbohydrates and nourishing fats in one handy little portion.
They’re also a great way to gently add some mild spices to your babies repertoire while on their starting solids journey, plus they’re a perfect one-handed snack for famished mummas too.
Sprouting essentially starts the germination process in grains, nuts, legumes, seeds or beans, which makes them easier to digest and increases the availability of their nutrients.
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch fresh coriander (green part only, keep the roots and freeze them to use later in my lentil Dahl)
- 2-3 Tbsp macadamia oil (or olive oil)
- 1 onion, cut in to quarters
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp ground coriander
- 1 cup lentil sprouts
- 1 cup chickpea sprouts
- 1 “chia egg” – 1 Tbsp chia seeds soaked in 2 Tbsp water (to make a gel)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat over to 160’C and line a baking sheet or oven dish with baking paper
- To a food processor add the coriander, garlic and macadamia oil and process until you have a pesto paste
- Add the onion and process until finely diced
- Add the remaining ingredients and process until combined – it’s up to you how much you blend here, I like to have a few lentils still whole, but you can process more than this to create a much finer mix
- Roll tablespoons of the mix in to balls and place on your baking try – use your fingers to flatten slightly to form more of a pattie
- Cook for 15 minutes and then turn your falafels over and cook for a further 10 minutes, until golden brown
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days or freeze
Recipe supplied by paediatric & childhood nutritionist (and resident Mumsie nutrition expert), Lucy Stewart of Lucy Stewart Nutrition: www.lucystewartnutrition.com