Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Back in another lifetime a friend and I found ourselves in Tel Aviv with two Mexicans that we met on a bus from Cairo. They introduced us to the falafel and 30 years later I can still picture those colossal sandwiches. The street food vendor would have an array of condiments to choose from that would put any fast food chain to shame. From pickles to french fries and onion rings, there was nothing that you couldn’t stuff into that pita! You could buy a falafel sandwich in the morning and it would last all day. Anyway, since then I have had a soft spot for this Middle Eastern masterpiece. Falafel is also a great vegan option when you’re out and about and looking for a quick meal. This baked falafel is an attempt to capture the authentic flavours of the middle east without deep frying.

Baked Falafels
Pin
Print

Baked Falafels

Course: Dinner, LunchCuisine: vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, middle easternDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

1

hour 
Cooking Time

25

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

25

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of dried chickpeas. Please don’t used canned chickpeas.

  • 1/2 an onion, quartered

  • 1 cup of fresh parsley

  • 1 cup of fresh cilantro

  • 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

  • 1/2 tsp of cayenne

  • 1 tsp of cumin

  • 1 tsp of coriander powder

  • 1 tsp of salt

  • 1/2 tsp of cardamom

  • Pinch of black pepper

  • 2 Tbsp of chickpea flour

  • 1/2 tsp of baking soda

  • 2 Tbsp of olive oil

Directions

  • Soak the chickpeas for a good 8 hours in a bowl of cold water. Make sure the chickpeas are well covered as the will expand in size as they soak.
  • Preheat your oven to 350° F.
  • When the chickpeas are ready, drain and add to a food processor along with the onion, parsley, cilantro, coriander, cayenne, garlic, cumin, salt, cardamom and pepper.
  • Pulse the food processor until the mixture is well chopped up into a coarse sort of paste.
  • Transfer the dough to a bowl and mix in the chickpea flour and baking soda.
  • The dough will form better when cool, so place the dough in the refrigerator for 45 mins or so.
  • With your hands or a melon baller, form the dough into 16 little falafel balls.
  • Spread 2 Tbsp of olive oil over a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper and then put the falafels on the baking sheet and gently roll them around to coat them in oil.
  • Bake the falafels for 12 minutes and then turn them gently and bake for a further 12 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven when the falafels are golden brown.

Notes

  • Serve with pita, pickled turnips, hummus and your favourite fixings with a side of tabbouleh.

Baked Falafels