Ironically, the first time I tasted falafel was in Thailand of all places, and I ended up with a nasty vomiting bug on a 4 hour bus journey later that day. Delightful. However, I was not deterred. And neither should you be. Go on - ditch the chicken and make these cheeky chickpea nuggets tonight instead ;)
Baked Falafels
Makes 8-10 falafels, depending on how large you make them!
Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Dairy free and easily adaptable to be gluten free.
Ingredients
1 400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp plain flour/ground almonds for gluten free option
2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 bunch of fresh coriander, washed and chopped
a good pinch each of salt and pepper
sesame seeds
oil of your choice (I use rapeseed)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Place 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat. When the oil has warmed, add the chopped onion and garlic, 1 tsp of the cumin and the chilli powder. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the onions have softened.
3. Place the chickpeas, lemon juice, coriander, salt, pepper and remaining cumin into a food processor. Add the fried onion and garlic.
4. Mix to combine. Taste the mixture and add more seasoning if you wish.
5. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the flour/ground almonds. Combine with your hand to form a dough.
6. Use your hands to form small balls of the mixture.
7. Pour some sesame seeds on to a plate. Roll your falafel balls in the seeds to coat.
8. Place the falafels on a foil-lined baking tray and place into the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
9. Remove from fridge and drizzle with 1 tbsp of oil. Bake for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
Wasn't that (Leban)easy?! :P
To serve:
Cous cous salad - cous cous is really versatile and you can add so many things to it to liven it up. I like to cook the cous cous in vegetable stock and mix through some pomegranate seeds, chopped toasted almonds/pine nuts, feta and fresh coriander.
Hummus (lashings of it)
Warm wholemeal pitta breads
Lettuce
Tomatoes
