There are so many ways to eat falafel—in a pita, on a salad, by itself—that it makes it a no-brainer kitchen staple. This recipe from Sprouted Kitchen allows your fresh homegrown herbs to take the spotlight.
From Sprouted Kitchen
Recipe barely adapted from Vegetarian Everyday by David Frenkiel & Luise Vindahl.
David and Luise suggest a simple cashew nut dressing in their book which is a blend of soaked cashews, oil, lemon juice, and salt. I had some tahini sauce to use up, so I went that route instead. Just use half the amount of water called for. A fresh tzatziki would be refreshing here too. The original recipe uses 2 cups pistachios, I scaled it down a bit due to preference which is why mine yields a bit less than thiers. Your call. Don't be shy with the herbs, these falafels can take it.
- 12 sprigs of mint
- 12 sprigs of parsley or cilantro
- 1 cup shelled pistachio nuts
- 2 cups chickpeas, cooked or canned
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 small yellow onion
- 3 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 T. buckwheat flour (or another flour of choice)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- hearty pinch of salt
- / tomato chili salsa /
- 2 cups diced tomatoes (I used baby tomatoes)
- 1/2 a small red chile, seeded and finely chopped (one jalepeno works)
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 T. fresh chopped oregano
- pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- collard leaves, cabbage or pita bread for serving
- fresh herbs for garnish
Preheat the oven to 375'. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or oiled foil.
Pulse the herbs in a food processor. Add the pistachio nuts and pulse again to chop. Add the chickpeas, garlic, onion, oil, cumin, flour and baking soda and blend for thirty seconds, scraping down sides when necessary. You want the mixture a bit rough.
Using your hands, form 20 small round falafels. Place them on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake them for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until browned.
Stir all tomato chili salsa ingredients together in another bowl. Allow ingredients to sit for flavors to blend.
Make your wraps with the collard, cabbage or pita with a generous spread of the sauce and the tomato chili salsa. Falafels will keep for about a week covered in the fridge.
Thank you Sprouted Kitchen for a beautiful recipe!