Oil & Gluten Free Vegan Falafel

Anyone else love falafel as much as me!? They remind me of my college days when I used to go to this hole in the wall Mediterranean spot and got gyros, falafel and baklava! Oohhhh the nostalgia.

This recipe for falafel is absolutely DELICIOUS! I really love it that there is NO oil, NO flours, but packed with flavor! Most falafels are either deep fried or pan fried in oil and crispy with lots of fat but this one is baked and healthy but seriously has some bomb flavor going on. Another reminder we can do ANYTHING plant based and healthier! I made a Vegan Tzatziki Sauce is that ridiculous and it just is the perfect pair. I haven't made or even attempted to make this sauce since going vegan but it has always been one of my favorites! So excited to add this on so many things! I hope you love these little nuggets as much as we do!

p.s. all 3 boys LOVE these so it was a kid winner! :)


INGREDIENTS:

• Two 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1.5 cup finely chopped red onion
• 5 large garlic cloves, with skins still on (for roasting)
• 2 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 4 Tbsp tahini
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt (more to taste)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup cooked, mashed and tightly packed gold potato
• 3/4 cup packed cilantro
• 1/4 cup water

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DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Spread them out evenly on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (Please don't skip this as it gives the chickpeas some texture and wont turn the falafel to mush!)
3. Add the chopped onion and garlic (SKINS ON) onto another lined baking sheet and place both pans in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. 
   
4. In a pot, steam or boil 1 gold potato, you want a 1/2 cup so if you need to do 2, that's fine. When the potato is soft, mash and set aside.
5. When the chickpeas, onions and garlic time is up, remove from the oven. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees.
   
6. Add just the chickpeas to a food processor. Process until there are no more visible whole chickpeas, but do not over process it too finely. It should look  kind of chunky with no remaining beans.
7. Remove the garlic skins and add them with the onion to the food processor. Do not blend yet! Add in all the rest of the ingredients first so we don't turn our falafel into mush. 
8. After everything is added, process until it all comes together evenly. This may take up to 20 seconds. As soon as it does, stop processing. It should hold together easily when pressed between your fingers and not be dry/crumbly. It should easily form into balls, if not, process just slightly longer. If it is too dry, add a little more water. 
9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and form and shape the mixture into tight balls with your hands. They should be about golf ball size and you should get 10-12. Place them all onto the pan and press them down slightly. The edges may slightly crack a bit when pressing them down, just piece back the edges with your fingers.
10. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully flip them over and cook another 10 minutes. They should have nice golden brown tops.
11. Serve with Vegan Tzatziki Sauce! I like mine with salad, but you can stuff these into a pita and enjoy!