Falafel is Middle Eastern food gone mainstream, and for good reason. Crispy, spicy, and with a good dose of protein to keep you full, it’s especially delicious when wedged between warm toasted pita bread and drizzled with tzatziki. This recipe keeps true to falafel’s promise of fragrant herbs, hit-the-spot spices and bakes rather than fries the balls. Enjoy with warm pita bread, chopped tomatoes, chopped greens, and yogurt.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried chickpeas
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • Handful parsley, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons oat flour
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

Directions

  1. Soak chickpeas in water overnight.
  2. The next day, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  3. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Add to a pot of water and boil for 5 minutes. After chickpeas are cool, place in a food processor and pulse until broken down but still slightly grainy.
  4. Transfer chickpeas to a deep bowl. Add remaining ingredients and fold together until evenly combined. Add up to 1 tablespoon water to help hold falafel together.
  5. Use clean hands to shape mixture into about 20 round balls about 1 1/2 inches thick. Place on a cooking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until slightly browned. (If you bake in a small oven, keep oven door a little bit open while baking to allow moisture to release.)