✓ Gluten-Free
✓ Dairy-Free
✓ Nut-Free
This is a delicious recipe and one of my husband’s favourites! It’s a lovely, light and refreshing meal, perfect for a summer evening, school lunch box or easy work lunch. I often make one-and-a-half times the recipe, so we can take the leftovers for lunch. Ideally, serve the falafels with a delicious, refreshing salad, a dollop of hummus and/or a few slices of pan-fried haloumi for a little extra protein. You can also break them up and enjoy as part of a wrap or salad. Enjoy!
**This recipe was originally adapted from Epicurious.
Chickpea Falafels
A quick and delicious recipe perfect for a Meatless Monday, school lunch box or Middle Eastern style wrap.
Servings: 20 falafels
Ingredients
- 2 tins chickpeas well-drained and rinsed (ideally BPA-free)
- 1/2 large brown onion chopped roughly
- 2-3 cloves garlic cloves peeled
- 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (or use extra parsley if preferred)
- 1 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2-1 tsp chilli flakes (according to personal preference)
- 1 tsp salt
- 4-6 tbsp gluten free flour
- 1 tsp baking powder (gluten free)
- Olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas well.
- Add the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, cumin, chilli and salt to a food processor and process until well-combined (but not totally pureed).
- Add 4 tablespoons of gluten free flour and the baking powder. Pulse until incorporated.
- Test a small piece of the mixture between your fingers - it should be dough-like, but not sticky. If need be, add an extra tablespoon or two of flour and process again.
- Roll the mixture into 18-20 falafel-sized balls and place on a plate to refrigerate for one hour. If pressed for time, you can simply pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Gently heat a generous splash of olive oil in a large frypan. Add the falafels to the pan and cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. If preferred, you can flatten the falafels a little to increase their surface area (especially if you like them crunchy!).
- Serve hot with a lovely side salad, hummus, tahini dressing and/or a few slices of pan-fried haloumi. Enjoy!
Notes
My favourite way to enjoy these falafels with with a lovely salad and the tahini hill dressing below. Enjoy!
Suggested Salad
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Cucumber, sliced
- Avocado, diced
- Parsley, finely chopped
- Lemon juice
- A good splash of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- A good dollop of hulled tahini
- A splash of lemon juice
- 1 small clove of garlic, crushed
- Finely chopped dill, to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Water, to thin to consistency
