Falafels!

🍋🍋 / Medium - kinda have to follow instructions
Sep 9, 2016
2 min read

FALAFELS! (So delicious, and spicy and full of health benefits) and now you can make them at home! They're perfect as a small nutritious snack, or add some tomato, lettuce, tzatziki and a wrap and you've got yourself a whole meal (okay I like chips in mine too). They're even great for those times when you are hosting a dinner party and your friend calls you (2 hours before) to let you know that she and her "boyfriend" (whom she met on Saturday) are now coming... Oh and since she's a vegetarian and animal enthusiast, that she is now giving up alcohol, starting yoga, 'finding herself' and turning vegetarian" even though already cooked steak and bought too much wine ... so now your going to have to drink that yourself. Not that that is a problem, because you're probably going to need it to deal with her new 'totally legit' lifestyle. Anyway, you'll make these delightful gems and all will be well...

FALAFELS

2 cans chickpeas (each can is 15 ounces)
1 small red onion - roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves
a good sprinkling of parsley, dried or fresh
a good sprinkling of cilantro/coriander, dried or fresh
2 teaspoons salt / peper
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup flour
You'll also need a food processor - mixing bowls - spray oil

TZATZIKI

1 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cucumber - finely chopped
a good sprinkling of dill, dried or fresh

*Hummus is also a great dip for falafels - chickpeas are like coconuts, gods gift to humans.

HOW TO:

Open your chickpea cans and drain all the liquid out, then pop the chickpeas into the food processor

Then roughly chop the the red onion and add that in and the garlic cloves (please peel these)

Add the parsley, cilantro, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. You might need to do it in a few batches to get it all smooth (just don't add any liquid to it - otherwise you'll get sloppy falafels)

Once thats all done, put the blended mixture into a big mixing bowl and add the baking powder and flour. Mix together.

That mixture can then go into the freezer while you prep everything else. This just cools the mixture so the balls stay together.

Preheat your oven to 160C/320F... In the meantime make your tzatziki and any other accompaniments (rice/salad/fresh tomato/Turkish bread/pitas?... whatever you like!)

Finely chop your cucumber and combine that with your greek yogurt and dill. Stir together.

Back to the falafels - take your mixture out of the freezer and roll into small balls and place on a greased baking tray - this is probably going to be very sticky and messy, but don't worry they should dry out a lot in the oven

Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Then serve!