by O’Pulence MTL 

 

 

Falafel are flavorful balls made with ground chickpeas, herbs, and spices. Very popular In the Middle Eastern and European cooking. Usually we make the typical fried version, but this is how to bake them for an easy homemade twist. Serve them whichever way you like but below you will see the way I make them for my clients, with all the fixings 

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry chickpeas (* soaked 24 hours, drained, rinsed, and patted dry )
• ½ cup chopped shallot or yellow onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (**)
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems, patted dry
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves and stems, patted dry
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves and stems, patted dry
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Garnishes 

• Water Melon (can use tomatoes instead)
• Bok choy
• Corn
• Cucumber
• Fresh coriander, parsley, fresh mint
• Pickled Red Onions
• Wild Rice
• Tahini Dressing (***)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. (****)
• In a large food processor, place the chickpeas (note: the chickpeas will have expanded during the soak time, be sure to use ALL of them here), shallot, garlic, lemon zest, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, salt, cayenne, baking powder, cilantro, parsley, and olive oil. Pulse until well combined but not pureed. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Use a 2-tablespoon scoop and your hands to form the mixture into 12 to 15 thick patties (be careful not to pack them too tight or your falafel will be dense).
• You can also use a small ice cream scoop or falafel scoop to form the falafel into balls or patties. If they're not holding together, give the mixture a few more  pulses in the food processor.
• Place the patties on the baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil (this is the key to making these moist and crisp since we're not frying) and bake for 14 minutes. Flip and bake for 10 to 12 minutes more or until golden brown and crisp on the outside. During the last few minutes of baking, wrap the pita in foil and warm in the oven.
• Assemble pitas with a slather of hummus, diced veggies, falafel, herbs, pickled red onions, and generous drizzles of tahini sauce.

Notes

*Canned chickpeas cannot be substituted in this recipe or your falafel will turn out mushy.

**I used cayenne pepper in this recipe but you are welcomed to use fresh chili or habanero 🙂

***They can be served as a snack with homemade tzatziki or if you cannot have dairy you can do a hummus or even romesco sauce with them

****Cooking options: Once the falafel are formed, you can cook them by your preferred method mentioned above. To deep fry the falafel, add about 3 inches of oil to a small pot on medium heat. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C). Cook the falafel in batches (about 6 to 8 at a time) for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden.