The perfect bite: green falafel recipe to wow at your next chica's night out

They say that variety is the spice of life. Whether you're mixing it up with your routine or your recipes, switching it up a little bit never hurts (techincally it's how we test out new things).

So when planning your next shindig, try spicing it up (literally and figuratively) with an unexpected recipe that is sure to slay (or sleigh since we are entering the holiday season).

© TABASCO

In comes the delightful green falafel with tahini heat dressing (it is truly a feast for the eyes and for the tastebuds alike). The amazing folks at TABASCO want you to live life deliciously spicy and healthy, two things that you can achieve with the recipe below!

 Green Falafel with Tahini Heat Dressing

Ingredients:

For the tahini heat dressing:

1 tbsp TABASCO® Sauce

2 tbsp light tahini

4 tbsp milk, preferably almond or cashew

1 tbsp cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

For the green spring falafel:

2 tbsp TABASCO® Green Sauce

1 400g tin cooked chickpeas, drained

40g (¼ cup) toasted pistachios

1 heaped tsp cumin seeds

1 heaped tsp coriander seeds

50g (½ cup) baby spinach

Large handful coriander (cilantro)

Large handful parsley

80g (½ cup) frozen peas

4 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

6-8 tbsp gram flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1 egg

Salt and pepper

50g (¼ cup) sesame seeds, optional

Preparation:

- Heat the oven to 180°C and toast the pistachios for 6 minutes to enhance their flavor.

- Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan for 2 minutes, until you can start to smell the flavor being released. Grind in a pestle and mortar or blitz in a food processor.

- Drain the chickpeas well, and pat dry on a square of kitchen roll.

- Transfer the chickpeas to a food processor along with the TABASCO® Green Sauce, the ground spice mix, baby spinach, coriander, parsley, frozen peas, chopped spring onions, minced garlic, gram flour, bicarbonate of soda, and the egg. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

- Blend the falafel mix until a paste forms, adding the toasted pistachios right at the end to keep them mostly whole, as this will add texture and crunch to the falafel balls.

- Transfer the mix to a container and chill in the fridge for an hour.

- Line a baking tray with some greaseproof paper or baking parchment and roll the falafel mixture into 18-24 even balls. Coat half of the falafel balls in sesame seeds if you wish.

- Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. When the falafels are ready they can be lifted off the parchment paper easily, and will have a lightly golden base.

- While they are baking, make the tahini heat dressing by shaking up the TABASCO® Sauce, tahini, milk, cider vinegar and seasoning in a jar.

- Transfer your falafels to a plate and serve with the dressing on the side.-