Ingredients
Scale
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 C loosely packed fresh herb leaves (recommended: half parsley, half cilantro)
- 2 C cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 t kosher salt
- 1/2 t ground black pepper
- 1 t ground cumin
- 1/2 t chili powder
- 4 1/2 T almond meal/flour (I use this brand)
- 1 1/2 T potato starch
- 1 t baking soda
- For serving (optional): pita bread, tzatziki sauce (recipe in my eBook), chopped fresh tomatoes
Instructions
- Pulse onion and garlic in a food processor until minced. Empty, with any juice from the onion, into a medium mixing bowl (you should have around 1 cup). Roughly chop the herb leaves so they’ll fit into the food processor. Add herbs, chickpeas, salt, pepper, and spices to food processor and run until there are no large chunks. Stop to scrape down sides of processor as needed. Add back onion and garlic, almond meal, potato starch, and baking soda and pulse until nearly smooth and uniformly green. If the mixture is really dry and won’t process, and up to 3 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Turn mixture back into the mixing bowl and stir or knead in almond flour, potato starch, and baking soda. Taste and season, if needed. Cover the bowl and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Quarter chickpea and herb “dough”, then divide each quarter into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, place on baking sheet, then use fingers or back of a spatula to flatten each ball to about 1/2″ thick and 2 1/2″ in diameter.
- Bake 15 minutes, then gently turn each patty over. Bake another 10 to 15 minutes until browned on both sides and firm. Serve warm or room temperature, alone or in pita bread, with tzatziki, tomatoes, or your condiments of choice.
Notes
Falafel are gluten-free and vegan, when prepared without substitutions.
Yields 16 individual falafel patties.
Prep and cook times don’t include inactive resting time in refrigerator for the dough.
Adapted from Food52.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Cuisine: Mediterranean