Easy Vegan Falafel

By michele080478

Easy, 10-ingredient falafel made with chickpeas and seasoned with parsley, cumin and garlic. A simple, flavorful, hearty plant-based meal.

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce (425 g) can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry
• 1/3 cup (15 g) chopped fresh parsley (or sub cilantro)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced (~ 3/4 cup, 65 g | or sub white onion)
• 2 Tbsp (17 g) raw sesame seeds (or sub finely chopped nuts, such as pecans)
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper, plus more to taste
• optional: Healthy pinch each cardamom and coriander
• 3-4 Tbsp (24-31 g) all-purpose flour (or sub oat flour or gluten-free blend with varied results)
• 3-4 Tbsp (45 - 60 ml) grape seed oil for cooking (or sub any neutral oil with a high smoke point)
• optional: Panko bread crumbs for coating (see instructions)
• Garlic Dill Sauce for serving (found within the Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potato Recipe)

Details

Servings 12
Preparation time 120mins
Cooking time 130mins
Adapted from minimalistbaker.com

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions
Add chickpeas, parsley, shallot, garlic, sesame seeds, cumin, salt, pepper (and coriander and cardamom if using) to a food processor or blender and mix/pulse to combine, scraping down sides as needed until thoroughly combined. You’re looking for a crumbly dough, not a paste (see photo).
Add flour 1 Tbsp at a time and pulse/mix to combine until no longer wet and you can mold the dough into a ball without it sticking to your hands - I used 4 Tbsp.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I added a bit more salt, pepper, and a dash of cardamom and coriander. You want the flavor to be pretty bold, so don’t be shy.
Transfer to a mixing bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to firm up. If you’re in a hurry you can skip this step but they will be a little more fragile when cooking.
Once chilled, scoop out rounded Tablespoon amounts (~30 g in weight // I used this scoop) and gently form into 11-12 small discs.
Optional: Sprinkle on panko bread crumbs and gently press to adhere - flip and repeat. This will produce a crispier crust but is optional.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to generously coat the pan - about 2 Tbsp. Swirl to coat.
Once the oil is hot, add only as many falafel as will fit very comfortably in the pan at a time - about 5.
Cook for a total of 4-5 minutes, flipping when the underside is deep golden brown. Repeat until all falafel are browned - the deeper golden brown they are, the crispier they'll be. They will also firm up more once slightly cooled.
Serve warm with garlic-dill sauce or hummus, inside a pita with desired toppings or atop a bed of greens.
Best when fresh, though leftovers will keep in the refrigerator covered for several days. Freeze after that to keep fresh for up to 1 month.

Instructions