Baked Falafel
Baked falafel: my absolute favourite sandwich filling in the world. A spread of tzatziki (recipe follows), a dab of hummus, some greens on toasted bread (maybe even on a pita if I actually have some in the house), and that's my jam. You can put money on it that if there are falafel in the fridge, I'm eating them for breakfast the next morning in a sandwich. My tiny also loves bringing these to school for lunch.
The best part about these things is that they are completely made within a food processor which means minimal chopping, prepping, time standing, etc.
Mama needs to get things done. Insert clapping hands.
But mama also wants falafels, so here we are.
I make these almost as a cross between falafel and hummus. Because they aren’t deep fried, they can get on the dry side and a little on the boring side, so I jazz them up a little and help keep them moist.
Baked Falafel
2 cups cooked chickpeas*
1 carrot
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 cup parlsey
2 tbsps tahini
2 tbsps lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
2 tbsps olive oil
Spray oil or olive oil
Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 375 F. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2) Prep anything that needs to be prepped such as the carrot and the garlic (peeled and tips removed).
3) Put everything in a food processor, except the olive oil, and pulse to break everything up into small pieces.
4) Start drizzling in the olive oil on low speed, scraping down the sides as needed until a homogeneous dough is forming.
5) Using a tablespoon measure, or a tablespoon cookie scoop as I use, make as many balls as your mixture will allow, placing them with gaps on the baking sheet. They don't spread, they just need a little space for air to brown all over.
6) Brush the tops with a little layer of olive oil or spray with cooking spray before baking for about 20 minutes, until the bottoms are golden.
7) Enjoy with tzatziki (recipe follows) on their own, or in a bunch of different ways as I've already outlined.
*Chickpeas cooked from scratch are ideal for falafel as they have more of a bite and aren't as mushy as canned, but canned will work in a pinch, making it a truly speedy meal.
Tzatziki
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp dried mint
2 tbsps fresh chopped dill
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
½ a cucumber, grated
Lemon juice, to taste
Salt
Directions
Mix all ingredients together, changing measurements, depending on flavour preferences.
Notes
I had once spoken to an older Lebanese chef about how I could never get my tzatziki to taste like a restaurant and he said that the key was dry rubbed mint. While I prefer the Lebanese mint-based tzatziki, if it’s not for you, omit the mint and increase the amount of dill, following the Greek tzatziki flavour profile. I also never de-seed or drain my cucumber. Yes, it leads to a looser sauce, but it seems like unnecessary waste to me. If you do de-seed them, at least save the innards for a smoothie.