Baked Falafel

When the Mister and I lived in New York City one of our favorite things was choosing a neighborhood to explore. After taking the train over, we could wander for hours up and down the streets, in and out of the shops, just enjoying the city.

Of course, we worked up an appetite on these long walks, and just as much as the neighborhoods we loved sampling the local food. One of our favorite things to eat was falafel, and there are hundreds of options in NYC.

When we moved to LA we missed the falafel almost as much as the pizza. I said almost. And although we haven't found good replacements for either, its much easier to make falafel at home. We like to bake ours, but otherwise we eat it just like we did in New York - in a big pita with tzatziki sauce, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickles. Now, if we could just make pizza this good...

Baked Falafel

Adapted from here

1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans

1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans, place in a medium sized bowl and smash with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Using 2 spoons, form the mixture into small balls, then flatten slightly. Place onto a well-oiled baking pan and bake for 10-15 minutes on each side, until brown.

Serve with mini pita pockets, hummus, tahini sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and/or cucumber.