Oven "Fried" Falafel with Tahini Sauce

My brother in law is staying with us for the summer, so I asked him if there was anything special that he wanted for dinner one night. He said falafel. Well I've never made it before but I'm always up for trying new things in the kitchen. So I found this recipe and it was easy enough to execute.

INGREDIENTS:

(Falafel)
makes approx. 17

• 1 large can (29 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 Teaspoon cumin
• 1 Teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro 
• 1 Tablespoon chopped scallions
• 2 Tablespoon flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 egg plus 1 egg white
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and mash them with a potato masher or fork. They should still be a little chunky.

Stir in the cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, flour, cayenne and cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper to taste before mixing in the egg. 

Once seasoned to your liking, mix in the egg and stir until everything is combined.

On a large baking sheet spread the olive oil so the bottom is completely covered.

Roll Mixture into about 1 oz balls. Mine were about the size of medium meatballs. Place on greased baking sheet.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, Then flip the falafels over and press them down a little bit so the other side can brown and they're not rolling all over the place. Bake for another 10 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

(Tahini Sauce)

• 4 Tablespoons of sesame 
• 5 Tablespoons of water
• 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 Teaspoon of garlic powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Whisk all of the above ingredients together.

You can adjust the consistency according to your taste. If you want it a little thicker, don't add as much water.

Serve the falafel with pita bread, red onion, cucumber tomato and tahini sauce.

This was a fabulous recipe. Really simple but packs a ton of flavor. It's a totally guilt free meal and leaves you feeling full. Surprising for it just being beans, veggies and bread. I will most definitely make this again as a go to vegetarian meal. All of the ingredients were things that I had in the house pretty much. The only thing I had to specifically buy out of the ordinary was the sesame paste for the tahini sauce. Enjoy!

Credits: oven fried falafel