Falafels are such a cheap and easy food to make.  They are crunchy, delicious and can be as spiced or not spiced as you like.  These baked falafels have all the yumminess of their fried counterparts but are not as oily.  Better still, these are gluten free and egg free!

I began making my own falafels as a handy in freezer treat a while ago.  In fact one of my very good friends is Egyptian and together we went on a falafel mission, to make them and we were surprised by how great they turned out.

It has taken a while to convince the mini Kidgredients to eat falafels, so I took the opportunity to make them with Miss 4.  An experience which usually means she will at least try them.  And she ate 3 before deciding she didn’t like them.  Which probably means they are ok. 😉 but she won’t admit it.

We had lots of them, so I decided to let Master 2 have a bit of a play around with them.  He had a nibble or two, but wasn’t overly impressed.    The good thing with these is that they freeze really well, so you can always have them on hand.

How to serve them?  Well, I have been known to eat them on their own, but they are also great as a sandwich or wrap filler, or dipped in hummus or tzatziki.  Gosh, we have even had them with dinner!

Now, I have a really nifty tool that I call the falafelinator. But it’s not essential, we made some using the rice moulds that Master 2 is holding in the picture, just make sure you wet them before you attempt to squish the falafel mix into them or they won’t come back out!

And a note on food processing, you don’t want to blitz these so much that they become hummus, you’re looking for the consistency of cous cous.   Also, please don’t fall into the temptation of using tinned chickpeas, although it may seem easier, you won’t achieve the required texture in making the falafels.

Baked Falafels

Yield: 20

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yummy baked falafels, oven baked, freezer friendly, kid friendly and totally awesome! Great in a pitta bread or as a lunchbox snack with dip or without!

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Ingredients

• 1.5 cups chickpeas (soaked in 4 cups of water overnight, then drained and rinsed well.
• 1/4 cup coriander, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup continental parsley, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1.5 tbsps rice flour
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamon powder
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Line two baking trays with baking paper or silpat liners.
3. Drizzle some olive oil on the prepared trays.
4. Combine all the ingredients for the falafels except the olive oil in a food processor with a blade attachment.
5. Blitz in bursts until the mix resembles couscous grains.
6. Using a mould (rice mould? falafelinator? small egg ring? small kids bowl?) dip the mould in water then fill until the mould contains 1.5cms deep of falafel mix.
7. Pop each one out onto the prepared trays.
8. Drizzle with more olive oil.
9. bake at 200 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 35Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 4mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g

This nutrition information is generated using software. Please check with a nutritionist for any specific questions.

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