Lower fat and top flavored Ratatouille & falafals..tips & photos

Cook the eggplant (eggplants act like a sponge when added to hot oil, by boiling you use much less oil in the whole dish) for the ratatouille,in boiling salted water, then drain

Add canned chopped tomato in juice to the drained cooked eggplant

Saute the onion, bell peppers and onion, garlic in olive oil and add to the eggplant tomato mix, and simmer for 25-30 mins covered.

Saute the cooked chickpeas, bell pepper, zucchini and onion, garlic in olive oil for the falafal

The cooked low fat ratatouille add herbs of choice

Add turmeric and ground cumin, sea salt & ground pepper

The sauteed veggies and chickpeas

I like to add raw celery & chopped cilantro to this mix which will be processed, then I like to add an egg and dry breadcrumbs, for Vegan just add fresh breadcrumbs.Allow to "marinate" overnight then shape into golf balls sized balls, roll in dry breadcrumbs and drizzle with oil then bake in 350f oven for 25-30 mins...serve with sauce of choice, either tahini,(with lemon juice and garlic), or minted yogurt

Along time ago, when I worked in a Hotel in London, we made falafal with just soaked chickpeas, then deep fried. They tasted OK but the gas problems and indigestion after was monumental..cooking the beans beforehand and also cooking the vegetables, then processing and baking makes for a far more superior falafal and the flavors are more intense, also there is less oil used.

More photographs tomorrow