Healthier, no-fry falafel.
These delicious falafel are meat-free and unlike most falafel recipes, they do not need to be fried. You can optionally baste them with a little olive oil if you wish but most times, I don’t bother – they don’t really need it.
You can eat these alone for a snack but I like to serve them in pita bread. Halve and split the bread to make pockets, add the falafel and some lettuce, chopped tomatoes and a little sliced onion. You can also make a quick sauce to add using plain yogurt with a little garlic added. You can easily add other salad vegetables (we like diced avocado) and vary the sauce.
This makes a very tasty, inexpensive and remarkably filling lunch or dinner. It’s a no-guilt meal too 🙂
Falafel are usually made into balls – a bit like meatballs – but when they are they absorb a lot of fat or oil. With this recipe, they are formed into small ‘patties’ – the taste is exactly the same but they are much more healthy.
If you wish, you can adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes and that of your family. We like quite a lot of garlic and the cumin and coriander are just right for us in the proportions below. I sometimes add ground black pepper too but feel free to adjust the recipe. They are good served cold too so are ideal for buffets or if you are serving a plate of mixed appetisers.
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Rating
- ⅓ cup bulgur wheat
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2½ cups cooked chickpeas (canned is fine)
- 1 small onion
- 1 cup wholewheat bread cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- Dash hot sauce
- ½ cup parsley
- 1 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
- Add bulgar wheat to a bowl and pour about 2 cups of boiling water over it. Allow to stand for about thirty minutes.
- Place the peeled garlic cloves into a blender and mince briefly.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Divide the mixture into 12 - 15 balls of roughly equal size.
- Place them on a greased baking sheet.
- Flatten each ball with a spoon so that they are roughly half an inch thick.
- Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for ten minutes. Turn and bake for a further ten minutes.
- Optionally brush each with olive oil when they are cooked through and set under the broiler for one minute per side.
The absolute best appliance you need to make these delicious falafel is the wonderful Ninja blender. We bought one of these about a year ago – they are incredible value for money – and I can make great meals in no time.
For example, I can make an almost instant guacamole in seconds – I just put a sliced avocado into the Ninja, along with some garlic, fresh coriander and half a tomato – whiz for ten seconds or so and there it is – a perfectly delicious guacamole.
I use it every morning too for healthy breakfast smoothies. It is by far the best kitchen appliance. Every week I make a variety of soups — in seconds. It truly saves lots of money. I wouldn’t be without it.
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