Baked Falafel

I don't know about you, but I generally try to avoid deep frying things at home. Aside from being dangerous, the large quantity of oil is a pain to clean up and isn't that great for you. However, that can often put some sinfully delicious dishes, like french fries, out of reach of the home cook. Falafel fell into that group too, until I took a page out of my Better Eggplant Parmsean recipe and used a lightly oiled baking sheet and the oven to substitute for a deep fryer. The results were stunning.

This dish couldn't be easier. Toss everything in a food processor, roll into balls, and bake. One warning, though: don't use canned chickpeas. Soaking dry beans overnight will produce a more flavorful dish that doesn't have too much water. Pro tip: To make with a double serving of hummus, soak 2 ½ cups / 1 pound of dried chickpeas in 8 cups of water overnight.

Entrees

Prep: 15 min
Stand: 12-24 hours
Cook: 30 min
Total: 45 min (active)
Yields 20 falafel patties

Nutritional Info

T1D Carbs-per-gram ratio: 0.1351

Serving Size: 30g (about 4g carbs)

* Multiply serving weight in grams by the carbs-per-gram ratio to calculate the total estimated carbs.

Night Before
225g / 1 ¼ cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
4 cups water
In a fine mesh strain, rinse dried chickpeas and remove any stones. Transfer to a large saucepan or bowl. Add water and soak for 12 to 24 hours.
Prepare and Bake
3 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a large, rimmed baking sheet or two cast iron skillets with olive oil.
reserved chickpeas
Transfer chickpeas to a fine mesh strainer and rinse to remove any residue. Shake to remove excess water and transfer to the bowl of a food processor.
½ medium red onion, coarsely chopped
½ cup fresh chopped parsley
(28g / ¼ cup walnuts
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cummin
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Add onion, parlsey, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, cummin, salt, pepper, baking soda, and cinnamon to bowl of a food processor with chickpeas. Process until finely minced and fairly smooth, but not pureed, about 1 minute.
Transfer falafel puree to a medium bowl. Using 2 tablespoon measure, scoop out falafel and, using your hands, form a 1-1/2- to 2-inch ball. Gentle push down to form a 1/2-inch thick patty. Place on oiled baking sheet or cast iron skillet.
2 tablespoons olive oil
Using a pastry brush, lightly coat top of patties with a light brushing of olive oil. This helps ensure that both sides of the falfael the bake up crispy.
Bake at 375°F. After 15 minutes, remove baking sheet from oven and flip patties over. Return to oven and bake until golden all over, about 15 additional minutes.
Serve with a salad, or with pitas, hummus, red onions, tomato, and lettuce.