I’d been thinking of making falafels at home for quite some time but I found it a hassle to deep fry them (well, besides being heaty) when I only needed a quick (hopefully healthy) bite as a snack. So yes, oven baking was the only way out. I added panko to the chickpeas to bulk them up and also flavoured them with cumin, fresh parsley, garlic powder and a touch of lemon juice for that hint of citrus. When the falafels came out of the oven, I thought they looked like the festive cashew nut cookies (with the half cashew missing on top) we’d normally get during Chinese New Year, lol. Falafels are usually served with pita bread but I served them on rocket tossed with balsamic vinegar and had them with vegan mayo and sweet chilli sauce. Something different finally and they turned out pretty good. Best of all, no grease on fingers. Give this baked falafel recipe a try! 🙂
Oven Baked Falafels Recipe
Ingredients (makes 8-10 pieces)
1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
tsp garlic powder
salt & freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C with fan. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Using a food processor, blend together all ingredients until a paste is formed (texture should be like peanut butter).
3. Shape the paste into balls and transfer onto the baking tray. Gently flatten each ball with the bottom of a drinking glass.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes till golden brown, flipping over mid-way.