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Baked falafel

Baked falafel balls on tray

Baked falafel

Name: Baked falafel
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 x 400g cans chickpeas drained (or 250g dried chickpeas, soaked in 1 litre cold water overnight, then drained); 2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 red onion quartered; 3 garlic cloves; 2 tbsp sesame seeds; 1½ tsp baking powder; 2 small packs parsley stalks only

Sophie Godwin – Cookery writer

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Serves 6

Easy

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 20 mins

A star rating of 3 out of 5.19 ratingsRate

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These easy baked falafel balls are ideal for a healthy lunch. Serve with a fresh tabbouleh salad or stuffed inside a pitta for a filling veggie dish

Healthy

Vegan

Vegetarian

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Baked falafel & cauliflower tabbouleh

A star rating of 2.5 out of 5.4 ratings

Baked falafel & cauliflower tabbouleh, green tahini sauce & charred spring onions

A star rating of 4.4 out of 5.5 ratings

Baked falafel & cauliflower tabbouleh with pickled carrot, cucumber & chilli salad

A star rating of 5 out of 5.1 rating

Air Fryer falafel: all the flavor, none of the oil. Ready in minutes!

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

3 x 400g cans chickpeas

drained (or 250g dried chickpeas, soaked in 1 litre cold water overnight, then drained)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 red onion

quartered
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1½ tsp baking powder
2 small packs parsley

stalks only

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal263
fat13g
saturates2g
carbs22g
sugars2g
fibre8g
protein10g
salt0.32g

Method

step 1

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Tip the chickpeas, ground cumin, ground coriander, the cayenne pepper, onion, garlic, sesame seeds, baking powder, parsley stalks and 1 tbsp water into a food processor. Blitz until combined but not smooth (you want the falafel to have some texture, rather than being the consistency of hummus).
step 2

Season to taste, then roll into 18 evenly sized balls. Flatten each ball into a disc shape and arrange on the baking sheets, then brush the tops with 1 tbsp of the oil. Bake for 20 mins until golden and crisp, turning halfway through cooking.

What is baked falafel made of?

Falafel are small deep-fried balls made from a mixture of chickpeas, herbs and spices.

Does baking falafel make it healthier?

Falafel are usually deep-fried, making them higher in fat and calories. Frying also creates free radicals, which are linked to cancer. Baking falafels is a much healthier choice, as chickpeas themselves are a good source of plant -based protein and contain fibre, folate and iron.

Tips for making the perfect baked falafel

When shaping the falafel, wet your hands slightly to prevent them from sticking.

Don't overprocess the chickpeas, as a bit of texture is needed in the mixture – remind yourself that you are not making hummus. Season to taste and make sure the spices you use are new for the freshest flavour – dried spices that have been in your cupboard for several months may have lost their pungency.

Other flavours

Try adding finely grated lemon zest or chopped red chillies to the mixture.Once cooked, you could also squeeze over some lemon juice or scatter over a Middle Eastern spice mix, such as za’atar or sumac.

How to serve baked falafel

Enjoy these falafel alongside baked falafel & cauliflower tabbouleh with pickled carrot, cucumber & chilli salad or baked falafel & cauliflower tabbouleh, green tahini sauce & charred spring onions.

Falafel can also be stuffed into a lightly toasted pitta with hummus, garlicky yogurt, mayonnaise or baba ganoush, as well as pickles and crunchy slaw.

You could also form the falafel mixture into much larger patties and serve them as a vegetarian burger inside a burger bun with the condiments of your choice.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2019

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A star rating of 3 out of 5.19 ratings

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