I love Mediterranean food, especially falafel. It’s a crispy and delicious ball or patty made simply of chickpeas (or other beans) and seasonings.
Unfortunately, the falafel made in most restaurants is deep-fried. And restaurants typically use hydrogenated oils that tolerate high heat to do make it happen.
Why is this a problem?
- Foods cooked in oil at high temperatures form a chemical called acrylamide, which has been shown in animal studies to cause cancer.
- Oil, especially hydrogenated oil, breaks down when heated and changes the composition of the food that’s fried it in. It can quickly take a healthy dish like falafel and turn it into a health-sabotaging meal that can raise bad cholesterol, increase your risk of heart disease, contribute to weight gain and cause inflammation in your body (especially in your gut).
- Oil is very dense in fat and calories but low in nutritional value, so it adds a lot of calories to your food without providing a nutritional benefit.
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against having fat in your diet. In fact, it’s very important to eat foods that are high in healthy fat like avocado, coconut, nuts and seeds each day. And there are healthy oils like avocado oil, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil that can provide health benefits…when consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
The tricky part – even with healthy oils – is that they are extracted from their source (example: avocado, coconut or olive), so you’re getting a concentrated hit of fat. It’s better to eat the whole food as designed by nature to get all the vitamins, minerals and fiber that come along with the fat.
So what to do if you love foods like falafel that are typically deep-fried? Simple…BAKE THEM!
This easy and delicious recipe for baked falafel simply removes the oil from the equation. You’ll still enjoy the beautiful and tasty crispiness of falafel without compromising your health. And you’ll get a nice dose of fiber and plant-based protein from the beans.
Let’s dig in!
THE RECIPE
CRISPY BAKED FALAFEL RECIPE
~Makes 20 to 30 Balls or Patties~
Ingredients:
- 2 (15 ounce) cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons of garlic powder or 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1.5 Tablespoons of dried parsley or 4 Tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon of arrowroot powder
- 1 Tablespoon of ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
- Himalayan pink salt and black pepper to taste
ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS: Chickpeas are also known as Garbanzo Beans. Use organic ingredients whenever possible, so they are free of GMOs and health-harming chemicals like pesticides, herbicides and larvicides.
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
- Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend, leaving a little texture to the beans (meaning the falafel batter should not be completely smooth).
- Shape the mixture into balls using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop. Place them on the lined baking sheet. You can push them down into more of a patty form (which is what I do) or leave them in more of a ball shape.
- Bake the falafel for 25 minutes. Flip the balls or patties and then bake for an additional 20 minutes or until crispy.
- Enjoy!
LEFTOVERS: Will keep for 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
You can form your falafel into balls or push them into patties, which is what I usually do for more even cooking:
The finished product is soooooo good! The falafel tastes amazing dipped in this dairy-free tzatziki sauce (that’s the creamy sauce that’s typically served with gyros):
Cheers to enjoying crispy falafel that’s clean, oil-free and delicious!
With love and gratitude,
Kandi
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