One bite of these spice-laden baked falafel drizzled with a rich and tangy tahini, lemon and parsley sauce and you may just go part-time vegan.
The first time I made falafel was for a neighbor who had just undergone major surgery and was sent home with strict dietary restrictions. I wanted to make something that conformed to doctor’s orders but wouldn’t suck the joy out of eating. As I perused recipes I kept coming back to this one by Mark Bittman. When I showed up to deliver dinner, the recovering patient coyly asked, “Did you bring your bacon-wrapped jalapeños?” Obviously, the answer was no. I knew his doctor and everyone who loved him would have slapped those things right out of my hand, and then eaten them in hiding. But what’s worse really? Bacon for heart health or a broken heart because you’re being denied bacon?
Falafel is flavorful and substantial; it also happens to be vegan. At the time, I made a simple sauce that was little more than thinned out tahini but I recently discovered this one in Saveur. In addition to elevating the humble chickpea patty, it makes a great dip for raw or grilled vegetables and was amazing with the grilled fish kebabs I made from the same issue. It only has a handful of ingredients but you can taste every one of them – my favorite kind of recipe. It almost has the creaminess of tzatziki but like the falafel is vegan.
Falafel is not complicated to make, especially when you bake it as opposed to deep frying, but it takes a little advanced planning. To achieve the right consistency you need to start with dried chickpeas and soak them in water for 12-24 hours. I get to 24 when possible. During this time, the chickpeas will absorb a lot of liquid but will still be raw. Canned chickpeas are already cooked and therefore not ideal for falafel.
When you are forming the falafel mixture into patties you may think something has gone terribly wrong. It’s a delicate process but you’ll quickly get the hang of it. It isn’t like a dough, it isn’t like raw ground meat, it doesn’t really stick together like other things you may be used to working with but you can do it. I believe in you.
I love these served alongside salad greens with Persian cucumbers, paper thin slices of onion and a tart vinaigrette. Try 1 part fresh lemon juice, 2 parts extra virgin olive oil, some sumac or za’atar and salt and pepper.
Let me know what you think and if you have any falafel tricks up your sleeve. And don’t forget to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and be the first to see new posts!
Baked Falafel
One bite of these spice-laden baked falafel drizzled with a rich and tangy tahini, lemon and parsley sauce and you may just go part-time vegan.
Adapted from Mark Bittman
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup dried chickpeas -Soaked for 24 hours
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- scant teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
- 1 cup chopped parsley or cilantro leaves -I use about 1/2 cup each
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Instructions
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Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with water by 3 or 4 inches; they will more than double in volume. Soak for 24 hours, adding water if needed to keep the beans submerged.
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Preheat oven to 375º with the oven rack in the middle position. Drain the beans, rinse and drain well again. Transfer beans and all remaining ingredients except oil to a food processor. Pulse, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, until finely minced but not pureed. The mixture should resemble couscous. Taste, and adjust salt, pepper, cayenne or lemon juice as desired.
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Completely coat the bottom of a sheet pan with at least 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Using your hands, form the mixture into patties, using about 2 tablespoons of the mixture per patty. (To measure, I fill and level a #30 ice cream scoop which is just over 2 tablespoons, to make patties that are about 2 1/2-3 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick.)
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Place the patties on the oiled sheet pan, drizzle the tops with a bit more oil and bake for 20-24 minutes, flipping halfway through. Falafel should be nicely browned all over. Serve warm or at room temperature with tahini, lemon and parsley sauce (see recipe below).
Recipe Notes
After soaking the chickpeas, they will still be raw but will have absorbed a lot of liquid. Substituting canned chickpeas will not work well in this recipe as they are already cooked.
The original recipe called for adding additional liquid (either water or reserved soaking liquid) while processing, as little as possible, if needed to help the machine keep the ingredients moving. I have never found it necessary but if you do, limit it to 1 or 2 tablespoons.
This recipe will make approximately 24 falafel which is more than you will be able to fit on one sheet pan. Either bake one sheet at a time, forming the second batch of patties while the first batch cooks, or put the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds to bake two sheets at a time. Rotate pans top to bottom after flipping halfway through and start checking for doneness a couple of minutes early to monitor browning.
***If you have a severe gluten allergy or sensitivity or otherwise are serious about eliminating gluten from your diet, always check your labels carefully and buy certified gluten free products.
Tahini, Lemon and Parsley Sauce
This has everything I want in a good sauce - it is bursting with bright acidity from fresh lemon juice, garlicky, herby and a little spicy.
Adapted from Saveur
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup tahini
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- finely grated zest of 1/2 lime
- 1 cup packed flat-leaf parsely leaves, coursely chopped
- 1/2 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
- kosher salt
Instructions
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In a food processor, combine tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water and garlic. Process until the mixture is smooth and almost completely white, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl a time or two as necessary. Add lime zest, parsley, jalapeño and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pulse a few times to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice or salt to taste.
Recipe Notes
I usually end up adding another tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Sauces and dressings should almost taste over-seasoned on their own.
The sauce will keep covered in the refrigerator up to one week.
*** If you have a sever gluten allergy or sensitivity or otherwise are serious about eliminating gluten from your diet, always check your labels carefully and buy certified gluten free products.
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