Smoked Paprika and Parsley Falafel Patties (with Lemon Egg-free Mayo)

For some reason I got to thinking about the combination of smoked paprika and parsley (I do think about food a lot on my long, gruelling commute!) and pondered how I could combine them in a interesting way. Obviously smoked paprika works perfectly in stews or sauces, but I had a feeling that some kind of patty would also work well. In fact these little burgers of chickpeas, parsley and smoked paprika work a treat and will make a good choice for a picnic or barbecue. They work especially well with the lemon and garlic mayo. The only question is what to call them – they’re a kind of falafel as they’re made of chickpeas, a kind of burger, patty, cakes – in the end I opted for falafel patties to cover as many bases as possible!

Smoked Paprika and Parsley Falafel Patties (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, soya-free, vegetarian and vegan – to make gluten-free use gluten-free flour)

makes 6

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tsps smoked paprika, use the sweet variety unless you like it HOT!
• 1 tin chickpeas, drained (or use soaked and cooked dried beans – I just didn’t have the time!)
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• splash of red wine vinegar
• big handful of parsley, roughly chopped
• salt and pepper
• 3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp smoky chipotle sauce (optional)
• juice of 1/2 a lemon

– Fry the shallot in the oil until soft

– Stir in the garlic and paprika and cook until fragrant, set aside

– Blitz the chickpeas in a food processor until resembling breadcrumbs.

– Add all the other ingredients and pulse until well combined

– Turn into a bowl and place in the fridge for at least 1/2 an hour to firm up

– Form into 6 patties and leave in the fridge until ready to use

– Fry in a little sunflower oil until golden brown

– Drain on kitchen paper and serve with the lemon and parsley mayo.

Lemon and Garlic Egg-free Mayo

• 2-3 tbsps egg-free mayo
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• salt
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced

– Combine all the ingredients