I had no idea that Baked Falafel Recipe were made with such healthy ingredients. Most falafel recipes start with chickpeas, garlic, onion, fresh cilantro and parsley. The deep fryer is what transforms these ingredients into delicious, crunchy, not-so-healthy fritters. So, I decided to experiment with baking rather than frying the batter. Thi baked Falafel recipe with Israeli Salad is adapted from a homemade falafel recipe from Mark Bittman's Bitten Blog.
Note: If you are looking for an authentic, deep-fried falafel experience, I recommend going to your favourite falafel joint or investing in a deep fryer.
Baked Falafel Recipe with Israeli Salad
INGREDIENTS:
Makes about 12 falafel patties
- 1 cup dried chickpeas (original recipe called for 1 ¾ cup)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (original recipe called for 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 cup chopped parsley or cilantro leaves
- a sprinkling of cayenne
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 egg (added)
- about 1 cup chickpea flour (added)
- a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds (added)
- a sprinkling of dried thyme (added)
- a sprinkling of chopped walnuts (added)
- olive oil cooking spray.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 425F degrees.
2. Put the beans in a large bowl and cover them with water by 3 or 4 inches; they will triple in volume. Soak for 24 hours, adding water if needed to keep beans submerged.
3. Drain beans well and transfer them to a food processor. Add garlic, onion, cumin, coriander, cilantro, salt, pepper, cayenne, chickpea flour, egg, and lemon juice.
4. Pulse until minced but not pureed, scraping sides of the bowl down. Keep pulsing until the mixture comes together. Taste, adding salt, pepper, cayenne or lemon juice to taste.
5. Make the mixture into falafel balls or patties and put them on an oiled tray. Sprinkle sesame seeds, thyme and chopped nuts on top and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, until the patties are golden brown on both sides.
6. Serve warm in a toasted pita, with tahini sauce and/or hummus, and a simple Israeli salad made with chopped tomato, chopped cucumber and chopped onion, a sprinkling of cilantro, simply dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste (pictured below).
Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern dish made from ground chickpeas and other ingredients. It is usually deep-fried or baked. Here, we have replaced the deep-frying process with baking to make this recipe healthier. If you are looking for an alternative to falafel, this recipe can be used as a replacement or substitute for your favourite version of falafel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you bake Falafel instead of deep frying ?
Yes, baking is a healthy alternative than deep frying and it tastes yummy also
Are baked Falafel healthy ?
Yes absolutely, baked falafel are healthier than the deep fried ones as the amount of fats and calories get largely decreased in this healthy baked falafel recipe
Why can't you use canned chickpeas for falafel?
Dried Chickpeas give a good flavour than canned chickpeas and are better tasting than the canned chickpeas.
How do you keep baked falafel from falling apart?
Instead of balls, you can try falafel patties and they have less chance of falling apart. Also the chickpea flour added in this baked falafel recipe can help in more binding the baked ball together
Can I Freeze the Baked falafel ?
Yes , I have froze a batch of falafel and they turned out great. After freezing, when you require them, pop them in oven directly without defrosting.
Baked Falafel Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dried chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon Minced garlic
- 1 small onion
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- Sprinkling of cayenne
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Half Lemon Juice
- 1 egg
- 1 cup Chickpea flour
- Sprinkling of toasted seasame seeds
- Sprinkling of dried thyme
- A sprinling ofChopped walnuts
- Olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425F degrees
- 2. Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with water by 3 or 4 inches; they will triple in volume. Soak for 24 hours, adding water if needed to keep beans submerged.
- 3. Drain beans well and transfer to a food processor. Add garlic, onion, cumin, coriander, cilantro, salt, pepper, cayenne, chickpea flour, the egg, and lemon juice.
- 4. Pulse until minced but not pureed, scraping sides of bowl down. Keep pulsing until mixture comes together. Taste, adding salt, pepper, cayenne or lemon juice to taste.
- 5. Make the mixture into falafel balls or patties and put them on an oiled tray. Sprinkle sesame seeds, thyme and chopped nuts on top and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, until the patties are golden brown on both sides.
- 6. Serve warm in a toasted pita, with tahini sauce and/or hummus, and a simple Israeli salad made with chopped tomato, chopped cucumber and chopped onion, a sprinkling of cilantro, simply dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
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