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The easiest, healthiest falafel- baked or air-fried and with an oil-free option

April 7, 2018 by Ivy Chan

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Who doesn’t love falafel? The most delicious falafel I have ever had was in Berlin. And it was quite cheap. Was it Maroush? I cannot remember- and writing these, I realize how much I am missing that city. If there is a Berliner among you, they should please send me a note! Sigh.

Anyway, I digress. Aside from that experience in Berlin, I think I must have made the most delicious and the healthiest falafel thanks to my pure curiosity which never disappoints me. My darling friend gave me the best birthday present last February: A Philips Airfryer. Since then, it is quite rare for us to not benefit from this amazing tool. We have “fried” everything from kale (my favourite) to potatoes, from carrots to edamame. Well, yesterday, when I decided to make falafels, I decided to try air-fry them, instead of deep frying!

Now, if you do not own an air fryer, do not worry. I will have an oven option too, which is really, really tasty as well. Just go with non-cooked chickpeas, meaning, not the canned version. Using the canned version prevents the crispiness. Okay, here we go.

The yummy main Ingredients

chickpeas in glass

500g chickpeas
2 tbsp cornflour
1/2 tbsp tahini
1/2 tbsp olive oil
a handful of parsley (and/or cilantro. I used both, and even added a little bit of dill).

Important notes:
1. If you can, get uncooked chickpeas. I find that using canned chickpeas prevents that crunchiness of falafels. If you have canned chickpeas lying around, and you need to use them, that’s fine too. In that case, you might want to increase the heat a little bit.
2. If you do not want to use oil, that’s still fine. Believe it or not, I did not have olive oil at home when I made these. So I just doubled the tahini, and used 1 tbsp of tahini.

the yummy spices to use

pepper powder

1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper powder (or chili, or paprika).
A hint of sea salt
A hint of lemon pepper
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Notes on spices:
1. If you do not like it spicy, feel free to use less chili.
2. David does not like garlic, so I did not add the cloves this time. BUT I did use a little bit of garlic salt instead, so I opted out of the salt as well.
3. If you’d like to bake them, you might want to add a 1/4 tsp baking powder.

How to make these babies

First, you want to soak the chickpeas in water overnight (or around 12 hours minimum). Drain them, and place in a food processor along with all the other ingredients. Process until the mixture holds together when squeezed into balls. Taste and season more to your liking if it needs more spice.

If you are using an air-fryer

Shape into balls and put in the freezer for around half an hour. Take them out, oil spray them (I trust this brand), and put in your air fryer for around 20-22 minutes at 375°F. I had to experiment with mine. We usually air-fry at 350°F, but realized that 375°F makes them crispier. I suggest you start with 20 minutes, check if they are done to your liking, and go on air-frying if you like them crispier.falafels in a basket

 If you are baking them 

These are delicious baked, too!  Preheat the oven to 375°F and oil spray (or grease) a Pyrex container (or a baking sheet). Squeeze the falafel mixture into balls and flatten them slightly into patties. Place the patties on the baking sheet. Oil spray the tops of the patties and bake for around 15 minutes. Then, flip them and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until they are golden brown.

I served them with air-fried mixed veggies, but you can serve them in a pida bread with delicious hummus and a little bit of greens (like parsley or cilantro) or tomatoes.

falafels half cut

I had only a few left from the night before, and had the leftovers for breakfast this morning!
I could swear that they tasted even better!

 

 

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: air-fried, easy vegan meals, lunch or dinner

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Welcome! My name is Ivy. I am an academic by training and a foodie at heart, in a small but mighty body. Classical with a twist, married to the love of my life, a proud mum of two little lions, and one little human. We have recently moved to the gorgeous state of Washington. I am back to a 4-year school to study Ayurvedic nutrition and Traditional Chinese Medicine. When I have time from school and our two-year-old, I like to read, write, bake, and consume more Medjool dates and dried figs than anyone I know.

Shakingmytofu aims to make plant-based life convenient, affordable, and adaptable for everyone. I will be happy if I can bring a little more light, health, and peace to the daily life. Feel free to spend time, have a look at the recipes, lists of plant-based sources (from snacks to clothing), images and articles. Contact me anytime with queries, suggestions, and collaboration ideas at shakingmytofu@gmail.com or simply by filling out the form below. Look forward to hearing from you!

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I am an academic by training and a foodie at heart, in a small but mighty body. I am married to the love of my life, and a proud “furry-mum” of two little lions. Want to collaborate? Contact me→

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