Baked falafels

Step 1

If using dried chickpeas (which is my recommendation) soak approximately ½ cup of dried chickpeas in plenty of cold water - they will expand, to at least twice their size, so make sure they are well covered. Soak for a minimum of 12 hrs and 24 hrs if possible. I like to soak 2 cups of dried chickpeas and cook the rest for a stew or curry.

Step 2

Place 150 g / 1 cup of drained chickpeas, ground flax (or chia seeds), spinach (discard fibrous stems if present as they add a bitter taste), courgette / zucchini, onion, garlic, herbs, lemon zest, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, chilli flakes (if using), baking powder and rice flour in a food processor. Process until uniformly and finely chopped.

Step 3

Transfer the the mixture to a mixing bowl and set aside in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 200° C / 390° F fan (220° C / 425° F if you don't have a fan setting) and line a large baking tray with a sheet of greaseproof paper.

Step 5

Brush small circles of olive oil onto the baking paper at regular intervals, keeping ample space around each falafel so that the browning process isn't inhibited through too much moisture.

Step 6

Using your hands, form small patties (4 tsp worth / 28 g each) with your hands or using a small ice-cream scoop. Mine were 1.5 cm / 0.6" tall and 4 cm / 1.6" across. The mixture will be very wet at this stage so handle it gently, but don't be tempted to add more flour - it will make falafels dry. Apply some sesame seeds to the underside of each falafel with your hand before placing it on the oiled area of your baking paper. Sprinkle the top with more sesame seeds.

Step 7

Bake for 12 minutes. Take the tray out of the oven, gently lift each falafel off the surface using a spatula. Brush a little oil on before placing the other side of the falafels down. Brush the tops with some more olive oil for extra crispiness and bake for another 12-13 minutes until the tops are golden brown.