Falafels are definitely one of my favourite foods. I adore chickpeas, and they somehow manage to sneak their way into so many of the dishes I make at home. They are such a versatile ingredient, and one of my favourite way to use them is to make them into falafels. I could easily snack on them all day, and they pair so well with other Moroccan dishes, like tagine, hummus, or my new absolute favourite – baba ganoush. Most falafels are fried heavily in oil, which gives them their crisp, darkened outer shell. However, I’m more of a fan of baking side dishes/snacks like this in the oven. So, with my falafel recipe I did just that. I lightly drizzled the top of my falafels with oil before baking, so they would still get a slight crunch and golden shell. Filled with a lemony flavour and slight kick after each bite from the harissa paste and cayenne, these falafels are something I could eat over and over again.

oven baked falafels

makes 11 individual falafels

ingredients

3 cloves garlic

1 small onion (80g)

1 420g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup (35g) chickpea flour

1/4 cup (one handful/7g) flat-leaf parsley

1 tbsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tbsp harissa paste

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp sunflower oil

pinch cayenne pepper

generous pinch salt and pepper

method

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 190 C / 374 F

1. Firstly, peel your onion and then add it into your food processor with the cloves of garlic. Blitz until finely chopped. Then, add in the chickpeas, chickpea flour, parsley, cumin, coriander, harissa, lemon juice, cayenne, sunflower oil and some salt and pepper. Blitz the ingredients until fairly smooth, with the odd piece of chickpea running through the mixture for texture.

2. Then, line a baking tray with baking parchment. Pick up a spoonful of mixture, and press it into a ball shape with your hands (lightly dampen your hands if necessary). Repeat this process about 11 times, until all of the mixture has been used up. Then, lightly drizzle or brush the top of each falafel with some extra oil, and move into the oven to cook. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden and cooked through, then remove from the oven and serve.

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