Baked Herby Falafel with Tzatziki
These Baked Herby Falafels with Tzatziki are perfect for a nutritious and delicious lunch or supper. You can also serve them without the wrap for a tasty healthy snack.
Servings: 18 falafels
Ingredients
- For the Falafels
- 400 g chickpeas (drained weight should be 400g)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 20 g bunch of mint
- 20 g bunch of parsley
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds - do these need to be toasted since they are baked in the oven?
For the slaw:
- 1 large carrot coarsely grated/julienned
- ½ small red cabbage very finely shredded
- 1 lime juiced
- Salt to taste
For the tzatziki:
- 200 ml Greek yoghurt
- ⅓ cucumber coarsely grated and drained
- ½ tsp dried mint
To serve:
- Warm tortilla wraps
- Hummus
- Tomato sliced
- Ripe avocado sliced
- Pomegranate seeds to serve
- Freshly chopped herbs
Instructions
- Tip the drained chickpeas into a blender. Add the garlic, cumin, chilli powder, baking powder and salt. Next pop in the leaves and stalks of the mint and parsley. Blitz until you have a rough paste - you don’t want it to be completely smooth (the mix should still have some texture). Spoon into a bowl, cover and chill for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C Fan.
- When ready to shape, tip the sesame seeds onto a plate in a single layer and line 1-2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
- Scoop out 18-20 spoonfuls of the herby falafel mix and shape into small balls. Roll in the sesame seeds to completely coat, then pop onto the prepared baking sheet trays. Flatten slightly into thick discs (or whichever falafel shape you wish to make).
- Bake for 15 minutes before removing from the oven and turning each falafel over. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10-15 minutes - or until golden.
- Meanwhile, make the slaw: in a large bowl mix together the carrot, red cabbage, lime juice and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust the flavours accordingly. Set aside.
- Next, make the tzatziki: mix together the yoghurt, cucumber and dried mint until combined. Season to taste and mix again.
- To serve: place the warm tortillas onto serving plates. Spread with the hummus then top with a few Baked Herby Falafels. Arrange the sliced tomato and avocado on either side, then add a dollop of the homemade tzatziki. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and freshly chopped herbs of your choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chickpeas: you can soak your own chickpeas, if wished. Simply tip 200g dried chickpeas into a large bowl and pour over enough water to come at least 5 cm above the chickpeas. They will double in size as they soak so make sure you use a large enough bowl and enough water. Cover with cling film and leave to soak for 24 hours. Drain well before continuing with the recipe. Alternatively, use tinned chickpeas. Just make sure the drained weight is 400g.
- Serving suggestions: I serve these Baked Herby Falafels with wraps, hummus and veggies. You can also serve them with the tzatziki as a simple starter, snack or party food canapé.
- Make it vegan: the falafels are already vegan. If you want to make this completely vegan, swap the Greek yoghurt for a thick plain vegan yoghurt.