Recipe – Baked Falafel Balls With Pistachios and Herbs

Recipe from the book 90% Healthy by Sharon Bar-Gil
Photography: Nimrod Sonders
Styling: Oria Geva

Baked falafel balls are best served hot and straight from the oven, but you may also prepare them ahead of time and take them to the office or for a day trip.

Unlike fried falafel balls made of chickpeas that have only been soaked, this uses pre-cooked chickpeas. Soak and cook dried chickpeas (see Spicy Chickpeas recipe) or use pre-cooked or frozen chickpeas.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas + 3tbsp of the cooking liquid
• 1 cup pistachio nuts
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• ½ red onion
• ½ bunch parsley, coriander, or a mixture of both
• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp chickpea flour or lentil flour or white flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas4 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Pulse the chickpeas with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor until they form into a sticky paste.
• With wet palms, shape the mixture into balls the size of ping-pong balls. Place on the baking sheet and flatten the balls slightly.
• Bake for about 30 minutes until the balls are set and lightly golden.
Serve with tahini (sesame seed paste), chopped tomatoes, and roasted peppers.

Other Notes:

• Makes 30 balls of baked falafel balls with pistachios and herbs
• Want a variation? Use butter beans.

Other Recipes:

• Spelt and Seed Crackers
• Rolled Oats and Nuts Addictive Bread
• Herbs and Vegetable Muffins