A healthier take on the Middle Eastern delicacy.

Time to read: 5 mins | Time to make: 2 hours + overnight soak | Yields: 12 servings

Method

1. Soak chickpeas with a tablespoon of baking soda for 20 hours.*

2. Drain chickpeas very well. I usually put them in a strainer and let them sit for few minutes while preparing other ingredients.

3. Add chickpeas, onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley, dill, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, cayenne, cloves, and baking soda to a food processor.

4. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped and blended, scraping down the sides of the processor if needed. You want falafel to have course sand texture, so do not over blend.

5. Mix in the sesame seeds and tablespoon of flour and refrigerate for an hour. Refrigeration is an essential step for falafel to firm up and flavors to come together.

6. Pre-heat oven to 425°F ( 220°C) and lightly oil baking sheet.

7. Take about 1/4 cup (60 grams) of the mixture and shape it into patties.

8. Place the falafel on the baking sheet, lightly spray or brush the top side with oil and bake for 13 minutes. Then flip them and bake for another 12 minutes.

   Serve warm. I like serving falafel with hummus, eggplant dip, or homemade tahini sauce; on top of the salad or in a wrap.

Notes

* It is best if you don’t use cooked chickpeas; authentic falafels are soft inside but not mushy. We achieve that by the prolonged soaking of dried chickpeas.

* This recipe is inspired and adapted from Refika’s kitchen.

Nutrition facts, per 1 falafel:

Energy: 90kcal | Carbs: 14 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 2 g