*Real* falafel are made using soaked, but still raw/uncooked chickpeas as well as being fried… not baked.

However I forgot about this before I cooked all the chickpeas I had soaked. So I made my falafels from cooked chickpeas. It still works fine, and in all honesty digests better according to me, as uncooked chickpeas can be hard to digest and give pain, bloatedness and gas to people sensitive to a lot of fiber.

Of course, the consistency is a lot more soft and crumbly compared to if you use uncooked and fry them.

I have some other falafel recipes you can check out, HERE and airfryer falafel, HERE, and some beetroot falafel, HERE.

I would say that falafel is actually a very healthy food, especially when baked and not fried. Chickpeas contain a lot of nutrients, including protein, fiber and iron. And as the chickpeas contain some flour… or if you eat with some bread, it also makes a complete protein source meaning that you get all the essential amino acids in one meal.

Protein combining and “complete” protein sources really isn’t something anyone needs to think about… maybe it is a little fun fact and nutrition advice which is fun to know and share, according to me anyway..

So enough information, onto the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cans of chickpeas – around 500g chickpeas

1 smell red onion, diced

1/2 jar sundried tomatoes

3 garlic cloves

Handful of parsley

Around 50ml oil

2-3tbsp chickpea flour or all purpose flour

Salt and pepper

How to:

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Grease or line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Drain the can of chickpeas (save the aqaufaba for other recipes). Dice the onion and chop the garlic.

In a food mixer – or baking bowl – add all the ingredients aside from the flour. Mix until well combined, however don’t mix so long it turns into hummus.

Once mixed, add the flour and fold in.

Form into patties or small balls and place on the baking tray.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. If possible, turn the falafel over after half the time.

Eat warm or store in the freezer for optimal storage!!!