Last night, when thinking about dinner, I found myself looking at a butternut squash and a bunch of dried chickpeas. Common conundrum, I know.  I was also very in the mood for something akin to falafel, but a little healthier. So, these wee fritters came to be. Cumin, garlic, shallots, chickpeas, and the smooth creaminess of  roasted butternut all baked or pan-fried…well, it’s a perfect easy midweek dinner with some greens and sauce. They’re also completely veganizable simply by skipping the tzatziki.

And so, what you need:

1 butternut squash, roasted

1 cup chickpeas, soaked and cooked

1 shallot, minced

2/3 cup rice flour (and some for coating fritters)

2 Tbsp cumin

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

pinch of chili flakes or cayenne

For Tzatziki:

1/2 cup goat yogurt

1/5 cucumber chopped

juice of half of one lemon

1 Tbsp cilantro

To start, preheat the oven to 425 degrees, half the squash, scoop out seeds, and place each half cut side down on a baking sheet.  Bake until soft (about 45 minutes), and scoop out flesh. In a large mixing bowl, mix chickpeas, squash, shallot, cumin, cilantro, rice flour, and chile. The mixture keeps well in an airtight container for 2-3 days, so can be prepped in advance.

Spread rice flour on a cutting board, form the squash mixture into balls, and roll until well coated in rice flour.

Place in oven, spray with olive oil, and cook for about 30 minutes or so. I also pan fried a few by melting 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a pan, and placing 4 balls of butternut squash mixture in the pan until crispy on each side.

While baking or pan-frying, mix the tzatziki by putting all ingredients in a blender (again, the magic bullet handles this like a champion).

Dip, dress a salad, or eat a fritter plain. They’re simple and magically delicious!