Baked Falafel Patties

Baked Falafel Patties

August 12, 2010

I only first tried falafel a few weeks ago while at Juniper 61 for a girls’ dinner. I immediately fell in love. I’m not sure what I was, or wasn’t, expecting, but they were savory, spiced, full-flavored, in a word: delicious. They were also fried, which meant I would not be making them at home. As a rule, I don’t fry things. First off, it’s messy. Secondly, it’s smelly. Thirdly, I really don’t need to get into the habit of frying things at home. Thankfully, the idea of a baked falafel wasn’t a new one, and I easily found this recipe on Chow Vegan. I only made a couple of adjustments to the original: using a food processor and starting with dried chickpeas. Yes, at the same time I made the recipe easier, I also made it more time consuming. Story. of. my. Life. It’s actually not all that much more work to start with the dried beans, you’ll just need to plan ahead more, as they will need to soak for 12 to 24 hours, and then simmer for 2.

I served these with with tzatziki in pita pockets, but I think they would be great on a Greek inspired salad as well, or even as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

• ½ cups Dried Chickpeas
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 Small Yellow Onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 to 3 Cloves Garlic, peeled
• 3 Tbsp Fresh Parsley
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro
• Juice of ½ a Lemon
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Coriander
• 1 tsp Cumin
• ½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 Tbsp Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rinse and soak chickpeas overnight in enough water to cover 2 inches above the top of the beans. Soak for 12 to 24 hours. Drain beans and transfer to a pot and cover with water, again, 2 inches above top of beans. Stir in baking soda and salt. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for 2 hours.

Add onion to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add garlic and pulse a few more times. Add in chickpeas and rest of the ingredients. Pulse until just smooth.

Using an ice cream, cookie, or similar, scoop, place balls about an inch apart on a cookie sheet sprayed with olive oil, or nonstick, spray. I did this on my silpat for extra insurance of easy removal. Flatten slightly, spray tops with olive oil or nonstick spray, and then allow to chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or until ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 375⁰. Bake for 15 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. I found that a 2 spatula method worked best when flipping.

Serve with mini pita pockets, hummus, tahini sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and/or cucumber.

Servings – 8 @ 2 patties per serving

WW Points – 1 pt per 2 patties