Ali Honour
Serves: Makes 12
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
250g (1½ cups) cooked kidney beans or 1 x 400g (14oz) tin, drained and rinsed
125g (½ cup) grated raw beetroot
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
30g (¼ cup) chickpea flour or plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or coriander (optional)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1–2 tbsp olive oil
For the Lemon Yogurt:
250g (1 cup) Greek yogurt
zest of 1 lemon
Recipe kindly shared with us from Beans by Ali Honour (Blasta Books, £15) Photographer: Jo Murphy.
These little ruby-red gems combine the earthy sweetness of beetroot with the hearty texture of red kidney beans, creating a colourful, nutrient-packed twist on a classic. They’re perfect for stuffing into wraps, serving with salads or dipping into a tangy lemon yogurt with pickles on the side.
Method:
If you want to bake the falafel rather than fry them, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Put the beans, beetroot, onion, garlic, tahini and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until combined but still slightly chunky.
Add the flour, baking powder, fresh herbs (if using), spices, salt and pepper. Pulse until it forms a thick mixture that holds together. If it’s too wet, add a little more flour. Shape into 12 small balls (about 30g (1oz) each).
If you’re baking the falafel, put them on the lined baking tray and brush the tops with olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, turning them over halfway through, until cooked through.
To pan-fry the falafel, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Add the falafel and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side, until crispy and cooked through. Serve warm.
To make Lemon Yogurt for dipping: Mix the yogurt and lemon zest together in a small bowl, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Engaging Kids
Kids who engage regularly with veg through veg-themed activities, such as arts and crafts, sensory experiences, growing and cooking are shown to be more likely to eat the veg they engage with. Encouraging kids to engage and play with veg is the handy first step to them developing a good relationship with veg and life-long healthy eating.
Kids in the kitchen
Put your child in charge of shaping the falafel and stirring the lemon zest into the yogurt. If they are feeling more ambitious, they could help with getting the ingredients measured out and pushing the buttons on the food processor or stirring the dry ingredients and mixing everything together.
Activities
Why not get a selection of different dried or cooked beans and lentils and try and capture the different colours, textures and shapes with colouring pencils? Or make a rainmaker with an empty, clean lidded crisp tube or milk bottle – pour in some dried beans or lentils, decorate them and seal the lid tightly before shake, shake, shaking!
Kids more interested in science? You can find at-home science fun with veg with our videos from Stefan Gates’ here.
Sensory
Why not explore beans through touch and sight? There are so many different kinds of beans and lentils. Get a few types that are a good mix in size/shape and colour, dried vs cooked, etc. and see if you can and your child can describe them. What do they look like? What colours, shapes and patterns can you see? What do they remind you of? What do they feel like? Are they rough, smooth, slimy, hard?
Find more sensory ideas, tips and videos here. If you get stuck and need a little help with describing words, we have a selection for you here, too!
Serving
While the dinner you are serving it with is cooking, ask your child to design a beautiful menu for the table, with special emphasis on “their” bean-packed meal they helped you make!
Find the best ways of involving your own child and their skills and interests on our Roles for Kids page.
Ali Honour
Ali Honour is a creative force driving a better future through what we eat. She’s a chef, food systems
disruptor and outspoken advocate for sustainable eating, known for turning humble beans and
vegetables into culinary and climate heroes. With three decades of experience across professional
kitchens, food education and advocacy, Ali blends culinary creativity with deep-rooted purpose to
prove that good food can – and must – be good for people and planet.
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