Baked falafels are actually really easy to make. I was skeptical about whether or not the soaked chickpeas would cook properly in the oven, especially since they can take 1 1/-2 hours to cook boiling on the stove, but the recipe works beautifully. I add leftover grain to the traditional recipe for moisture, binding, and texture. Don't grind the mixture too finely or the falafel will be tough. I make round balls of about 2 Tablespoons of the mixture and flatten them into disks about 1.5 cm (1/2 inch) high. This makes sure that they cook all the way through without the outsides becoming too dry.
A great sauce adds a little something extra. For those of you who want something more traditional, I have included a simple recipe for Lemon Tahini sauce. If you are looking for some lower-fat sauce options, these recipes are delicious:
Sweet Mustard Dressing
Pesto
Smoky Red pepper Sauce
Quick Apricot Chutney
I always serve the falafels over a bed of grain (this time was a combination of quinoa and millet cooked together), with chopped bell pepper, cucumber slices, cut tomatoes, and another heartier vegetable usually cooked. Braised kale is nice. Steamed broccoli or cauliflower is good, too, but I found some lovely fresh asparagus the other day and decided to cook that up. When serving, drizzle the tahini sauce over everything and enjoy.
I often break up the leftover falafel and add them to salads like croutons. The Lemon Tahini Sauce makes a great salad dressing, too.
makes about 20 falafels
- 1 cup dry chickpeas, sorted, washed, and soaked 8-10 hours
- 1 cup leftover cooked grain, such as brown rice, quinoa, millet
- 1/4 of a small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin or 1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin and garam masala
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/3 cup each leaves and tender stems of parsley, cilantro, and mint
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas and add to a food processor along with the leftover cooked grain, onion, garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika. Process until the chickpeas are ground to a coarse meal. The mixture should form a ball when squeezed.
makes 1/2 cup
- 2 Tablespoons tahini
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons warm water
- pinch of salt (optional)
To your health and happiness,
Beans and Rice