Fat Free Falafels

I love falafels. I think I first tried them when I was vegetarian (yeah...I never told you about that did I?) and I fell in love with them. I even managed to convince Al (a hardcore carnivore) that they were a good thing.



The little spiced balls of chickpeas, onion and carrot (in this recipe at least) are fragrant and delicious. These ones are baked in the oven rather than fried so it makes them a little drier than usual. I always serve these with a dip (I made baba ghanoush to go with these, the recipe for that will follow) and plenty of salad. They are also delicious in pitta bread or flat bread (we made some flatbreads too - again, recipe will follow).


This recipe required you to leave the mixture overnight or for at least a few hours. I can't recommend that enough really. The resting time enables the flavours to mingle and really come together to make the overall falafel really tasty. It's worth the extra planning.

Ingredients
1 can chick peas
1 carrot, grated
1 small onion (1/2 a large), chopped
1 1/2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 clove garlic, crushed
1tsp fresh ginger, grated
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
1tsp ground coriander
1 small egg

Method
Place all the ingredients except the egg into a food processor and pulse until blended but with some texture.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and add the egg.
Mix everything thoroughly and chill in the fridge for 6-8 hours (or overnight)
Shape the mixture into balls (should make around 25), spray with a little cookign spray and bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 15-20 minutes.