Make falafel yourself? Less complicated than you think! Whether as a side dish, in a wrap, as a snack for for dipping - I have discovered the versatility of falafel in vegan cuisine for myself. They are a great component in all oriental spiced dishes. In the oven, the mix of chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice and spices transforms into crispy, yet soft, protein balls.
Ingredients:
1 clove of garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 jar of chickpeas
juice of half a lemon
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp agave syrup (or other source of sweetness, e.g. datile syrup)
Chickpea flour (alternative: oatmeal or maize flour)
1 handful of fresh coriander leaves
Sesame seeds for coating
Preparation:
Chop the garlic and coriander leaves. Mix all ingredients except chickpea flour. If you have a blender, put everything in and puree the whole thing to a creamy mass. But it also works without a blender: just mash the chickpeas in a bowl with a fork. Then add as much chickpea flour until you get a mass that can easily be formed into balls by hand.
Then it's time to shape the balls. Tip: With wet hands, no dough will stick to your hands.
Optionally, you can roll the balls in sesame seeds to give them a nice coating.
Bake in the oven at 180 degrees celcius for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Personally, I love baking falafels in the oven. Not only do you need less fat than in a pan, you avoid the risk of burning and it's a gentler preparation overall.
Falafels make a great protein side dish for a variety of Middle Eastern dishes, with rice and vegetable sauces, or simply for dipping.
Alternative to chickpea flour: Instead of chickpea flour, you can also use oat flakes or corn flour. In this way you enrich the falafels with carbohydrates and they become a wholesome energy snack!