I remember the first time I ever heard of falafel. It was a good few years ago when I saw it being advertised in a kebab shop window. I thought it was some new kind of kebab so I just ignored it with cold blood.

Only some time later I saw a recipe for falafels in a vegan cookbook and I realised what a fool I had been to miss something that delicious!

For those of you who had never tried it, it’s a must!

My only problem with falafels was that they weren’t that healthy after all the deep-frying nastiness. So I decided to start making them in a different way, that is baking them!

And guess what?

Still delicious!

These falafels are easy to make, require only cheap ingredients and little time to prepare, but the best thing about them is that they’re packed with healthy goodies!

Ingredients (serves 8):

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained
• 3 cloves garlic
• juice squeezed from 1 lime
• 1 handful chopped coriander
• 1 handful chopped parsley
• 1 handful fresh spinach
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• ¼ cup ground almonds/flour if not gluten free

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients, apart from chickpeas, in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add chickpeas and blend until dough forms but do not blend the chickpeas completely to retain some structure.
3. Line a baking tray with parchment and form 8 flat mini burgers from the dough. Put them on the tray and put in the freezer for 10-15 min to firm up.
4. In the meantime preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
5. After the falafels are slightly frozen, put the tray in the oven and bake them for 35-40 min, flipping on the other side hallway through.
6. Take them out and serve hot or cold!

Enjoy!

Julia x