Falafel
by Jeanine https://www.loveandlemons.com/falafel/(garbanzos, Middle Eastern, vegetarian, )
Falafel are fried balls of ground garbanzos or fava beans seasoned with herbs such as parsley and cilantro and the spices coriander and cumin. Think hush puppies.
Falafel
Yield: 4 servings
Soak Time: 1 day (or 1 hour)
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Total Time: 40 min, plus the soak time
Equipment: Large food processor
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked chickpeas, soaked 24 hours, drained, rinsed, and patted dry* (see note)
(NOTE: No not substitute canned garbanzos or chickpeas for this recipe.) 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 cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems, patted dry
1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves and stems, patted dry
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
For serving
Pita bread, use gluten-free pita if needed
Hummus
Diced veggies, tomato, cucumber
Fresh herbs, chopped parsley, fresh mint
Pickled Red Onions
Tahini Sauce
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, 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). 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.