Oven-Baked Falafel
Healthy, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, oven-baked falafel. The perfect vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free snack, appetizer, or main dish.
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 600 g/21.16 oz chickpeas soaked & drained
- 1 medium red onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 spring onions
- 36 g/¼ cup chickpea flour
- 4 tablespoon rolled oats gluten-free
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder optional
- ½ teaspoon baking powder gluten-free
- 10 g/¼ cup fresh dill
- 6 g/¼ cup cilantro leaves
- 6 g/¼ cup spearmint leaves
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
- Weight 600g of pre-soaked and drained chickpeas, with their skins removed. Then dry them gently with a towel (pat dry).
- Place the chickpeas, rolled oats, onion, garlic, herbs, and spices into a food processor, and mix until everything is well combined. The texture should be as a coarse meal and a thick paste, combined. Don't over-process.
- Transfer the mixture into a bowl or food container, add the chickpea flour, and lemon juice, and knead into the mixture.
- Cover the mixture bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for ~ 1 hour. After the mixture is cool, add the baking powder and mix before shaping and baking the falafel.
- Preheat the oven at 190°C (375°F) fan and place parchment paper to a baking sheet.
- Using an ice-cream scoop number 40 (1 ½ tbsp) or your hands, form the falafel. If the mixture is too wet, add another tablespoon of chickpea or oat flour.
- Put the falafel on the baking sheet and brush them with olive oil.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning them halfway through baking, until golden brown.
- Serve the falafel hot as a mezze or main dish.
- Enjoy 😀
Notes
Do not use cooked or canned chickpeas to prepare the falafel mixture. Cooking them will cause the falafel to fall apart.
Soak the chickpeas overnight for 8-12 hours, adding ¾ teaspoon baking soda to the water. That makes removing their skin easy. Use a large bowl and cover the chickpeas with plenty of water, because when soaked, they double or triple in size!
Chill the mixture for at least 1 hour. This will ensure that the cooked falafel has a crunchy crust, and is fluffy inside. It also makes it easier to form the falafel.
Add a little bit of baking powder/soda to the falafel mixture, to make them fluffier inside after the mixture is chilled.
The falafel mixture can be made 1-2 days ahead and kept in the fridge.
Cooked falafel can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 3 days. As time goes by, the texture is changing. They will not be as crispy outside.
To freeze falafel, shape into patties or balls, place them in an airtight container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Cook them frozen, but keep in mind that it may need ~ 5 minutes extra.