Falafel: Vegan and Gluten-Free

Mediterranean, (mostly) healthy deliciousness. Falafels have filled wraps, shawarmas, bowls and hearts for as long as I can remember. They`re super simple to make and so much better when they`re freshly made.

We decided to cook ours the classic way by using a deep-fryer, but keep reading to find out how to bake the falafels.

There are two options of chickpeas to make your falafels: Canned or Dry; they both work in different ways and will yield different results, but the process is essentially the same.

Canned Chickpeas are readily available, most people have them stored in the pantry at any given time, and they`re as easy as open and eat. On the down side, the falafels will be a little more wet, and have a bit less texture. Also, if you`re gluten-free you will need to find a gluten-free flour (such as chickpea flour) to make them.

Dry Chickpeas are the original way of making falafels and it will give you a better texture with a little bit of a crumble, they’re easier to shape, and also fully gluten-free and vegan. But, they do require more planning ahead as they have to soak for 8-12 hours (overnight) before preparing it.

We used canned chickpeas this time because that`s what we had in our pantry so, for the purposes of this recipe, if you`re using dry chickpeas, soak them overnight before moving on to the next step.

Add 1 can of chickpeas (or 3/4 cup of dry chickpeas soaked overnight), a ½ small onion, 1 peeled garlic clove, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, ½ teaspoon of cayenne, 1 tsp of baking powder, 2 tablespoons of Tahini and 1 teaspoon of salt to a food processor and blend until you have a thick paste (if using dry chickpeas, the mixture will be a little more granular).

In a bowl, mix in sesame seeds and about a ¼ cup of chickpea flour – all-purpose flour is okay, – into the dough. If using dry chickpeas, there is no need for adding any flour. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes. You don`t need to rest it, but this step will make the dough easier to shape and the falafels prettier.

Once rested, wet your hand in clean water and shape the falafels into small balls (about 10-12 falafels). Keeping your hands wet will help prevent the dough from sticking to them.

For frying the falafels, keep the temperature of a medium pot of oil at around 325F. Use a kitchen probe to measure the temperature. Put the falafels in 4-5 at a time and fry for approximately 5 minutes, until the outside is nicely browned and the inside warmed through and cooked. Fish them out and let falafels crisp up on paper towels or a wire rack for a couple of minutes before serving.

For oven baking, flatten the balls slightly into disks and pre-heat the oven to 425F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or use parchment paper and bake the falafels for 25-30 minutes.

Falafel

Servings: 10-12

Time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes to rest

Ingredients

½ Cup Fresh Parsley

½ Small Onion

1 Garlic Clove

1 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Ground Coriander

½ tsp Cayenne

1 tsp Baking Powder

2 tbsp Tahini

1 tbsp Sesame Seeds

1 tsp Salt

1 Can Chickpeas

¼+ Cup Chickpea Flour (or All Purpose if you are okay with gluten)

Note: Instead of using 1 Can of Chickpeas and ¼ Cup of Chickpea Flour, you can use 3/4 Cup of Dry Chickpeas (soaked overnight).

Step-by-Step

1.       If using dry chickpeas, soak them for 12 hours before starting the next step. If using canned chickpeas, rinse the chickpeas and leave them in a sieve for about 30 minutes to drain fully.

2.       Blend all ingredients (minus sesame seeds) in a food processor until you can get a thick paste. Mix in sesame seeds and flour by hand. Rest the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3.       Wet your hands and shape the dough into 10-12 small falafels.

4.       Fry them at 325F until the outside is browned and the inside fully cooked (about 4-5 minutes). Serve with lemon wedges.

Or

5.       Flatten the falafels slightly, bake them in a 425F pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes.