Homemade baked felafel

Recipe

A big traybake batch of felafel ready for a middle eastern feast.

Low in GI, high in protein and fibre, and an extra healthy cooking method. You still get all the fluffy, flavourful felafel to wrap up with hummus or yoghurt sauce but a super easy home cooking method.

The texture relies on how well you drain the chickpeas, if you have a wetter mixture, it will just be more delicate to handle but will fluff up and brown well in the oven still but may need a few more minutes to do so. As soon as they are crisping up, turn them over carefully. I like to sprinkle a few with chilli flakes for a more adult version too.

Based on a recipe in the Good Food section of the SMH by Stephanie Neal.

Makes around 18 depending on the size. V. Vg. DF. Freeze well.

Pictured: Homemade baked felafel

1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained

½ cup coriander leaves, or a mix of your fresh soft herbs like basil and parsley if you prefer

1 tsp ground cumin

½ lemon, juiced

2 cloves garlic, peeled

½ small onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin if possible

½ tsp sea salt flakes

1 ½ tbsp plain flour

Optional to serve:

Fried crispy onions or roasted chopped nuts to add that crunch

Preheat the oven to 190 °C.

Dry the chickpeas on a tea towel as much as possible – the drier the easier they will blend and hold shape.

Pictured: Draining and drying chickpeas

Transfer them to a food processer with all other ingredients except the flour.

Blitz til smooth then add the flour, you may find it needs an extra sprinkle if the mixture is a little wet – but don’t worry, just handle it gently when you make the patties and they will firm up in the oven.

Scoop a spoonful onto a lined baking tray one at a time then with wet hands mould them into a flat, round patty shape.

Pictured: Homemade felafel ready for the oven

Cook 20 minutes turning halfway – they will still be a little soft when you need to turn them so use a good thin egg flipper. Once browned a little on both sides they are ready.

Serve either as a nibble with hummus and vegies, or mix yoghurt with tahini for a quick dipping sauce.

I like to have them for lunch in a wrap with the yoghurt/tahini sauce and some chillies, lettuce and tomato.