{"id":36,"date":"2019-10-08T12:30:04","date_gmt":"2019-10-08T09:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gwenjikoni.com\/?p=36"},"modified":"2021-12-12T12:02:40","modified_gmt":"2021-12-12T09:02:40","slug":"crispy-baked-falafels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gwenjikoni.com\/index.php\/2019\/10\/08\/crispy-baked-falafels\/","title":{"rendered":"Crispy Baked Falafels"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever wondered how else you can have your chickpeas apart from in a stew or hummus? Well, you can have them in crispy baked balls! Yeah, just like meat balls but with lots of herbs and spices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These balls are called falafels and originated from Middle East. They are crispy and golden on the outside with a green soft inside. You can actually snack on them and feel no guilt and they can be taken as a lunch or dinner sandwiched\u00a0in a pita bread with a salad, hummus and tahini. Wondering what all these other things are? Well, keep it Gwen Jikoni and learn how to make them from scratch in the comfort of your kitchen. All that said, you can buy ready pita bread, hummus and tahini sauce from any major supermarket near you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
All the ingredients you need<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, lets delve in the making of these vegan balls called falafels. The reason as to why you soak your chickpeas over night for 12-24 hours is to soften them ready for processing. Be careful not to cook them or use canned ones or else your end up with a mushy mixture. Soaking two cups of chickpeas yields\u00a0about 5 cups since they absorb\u00a0a lot of water and expand. Be sure to use a measuring cup for this recipe and not a tea cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, you need all your herbs fresh and not the dried kind found in the spices section of your local supermarket. These herbs include parsley, cilantro aka dania and mint leaves. Disclaimer: do not substitute parsley\u00a0for dania as danias are very flavorful whereas parsley\u00a0is mild. You got to balance these two flavors. Mint on the other hand brings out a fresh kick to your falafel. Feel free to add in other herbs like sage and dill if you like their taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like we use onions in meatballs, so should you in falafels. Onions brings about a robust flavor just as garlic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to spices, playing around with them is great according to your liking. In my case the combination of cumin, coriander, black pepper, cardamom and cayenne pepper brings about very delicious falafels. You can substitute\u00a0cayenne pepper though with a green chilli. 1\/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper or one green chilli will not make your falafels hot! So, kindly don\u2019t omit it as it plays a great role in balancing the flavors. Kids can eat these falafels too! Incase you want them spicier, feel free to add more cayenne pepper\/ green chilli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this point, let me just say\u00a0\u2018salt is bae\u2019.\u00a0<\/em>Omit it at your own risk and your falafels will taste like crap or not taste a thing at all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Course sand -like texture<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll notice we add chickpea flour and baking soda. You must be asking yourself why. The flour helps in binding the mixture together so that the balls don\u2019t disintegrate while being baked or pan fried. Incase you don\u2019t have chickpea flour and you are not gluten intolerant, you can you all purpose flour or wheat flour instead. Baking soda on the other hand helps provide a fluffy inside texture of the falafel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the cooking oil, feel free to use what you prefer best. Just make sure it has a high smoke point. Avoid extra virgin olive oil as it has a low smoke point ( it\u2019s best used as a salad dressing or in hummus!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n