Fresh Falafel with lemon garlic Tahini

Falafel is , or should be in my humble opinion- one of the staples of a plant based diet. Whether you put it in a Buddha bowl, pasta or in a pita like this recipe , it is delicious, quick and easy to make and full of plant protein , fiber and fresh herbs. 

I don't do meal prep on a regular basis. I love cooking and eating fresh, different meals all day and every day! Because I work from home it does make it easier to whip things up on the go but with a one year old running around, it can get pretty hectic sometimes. I love making this recipe in bigger batches and just putting the rest of the batter in a Tupperware in the fridge. The next day for lunch I just scoop some out and either pan fry or bake enough for that meal. It saves a lot of prep time and I still get to eat a freshly made meal!

Ingredients 

Falafel

2 cups canned chickpeas

4 cloves garlic

1 cup finely chopped white onion

2 tbsp ground cumin

1/2 tbsp Himalayan pink salt

1.5 tsp baking poder

1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1 cup chopped cilantro

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil 

Garlic lemon Tahini sauce 

4 cloves garlic

6 tbsp Tahini

6 tbsp lemon juice 

1/4 cup hot water

3 tbsp olive oil 

Salt to taste 

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place garlic into the food processor and pulse until minced. Add chickpeas, onion,  baking powder, salt and cumin. Pulse until beans are partially broken down. 

2)  Add lemon juice, parsley and cilantro and pulse until well mixed but still crumbly. 

3) Using a heaping tablespoon of mixture, form balls and place them evenly onto the baking sheet. Press down on each ball lightly to flatten it slightly. Using a brush, lightly brush the top of each ball with about half of the olive oil. 

4) Bake for 12-15 minutes until slightly browned. Flip each falafel and brush with the remaining oil. Bake for another 12-15 min. ( I like to finish mine off with a short broil at the end for added crispness! 

5) While the falafel is baking, combine all the ingredients of the Tahini sauce into a high speed blender. Bend until smooth, add salt to taste. 

6) Take falafel out of the oven and let sit for about 5 mins. Top with a generous amount of Tahini and serve with whatever you like! We did fresh pita, stuffed with spinach, tomato, onion and red pepper hummus. 

Enjoy! 

( recipe makes approx 15 falafel pattys)