Baked Pistachio Spinach Falafel
Author -Yields: 16 Falafel
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small white or yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (240g, or one 15-ounce / 425g can, drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios (75g)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves, tightly packed (5g)
- 1 cup lightly packed baby spinach leaves (20g)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chickpea flour (30g)
- Dijon lemon tahini dressing, turmeric tahini dressing, delightfully green tahini dressing, or another dressing of choice (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, or until it's translucent. Add the garlic and cook another minute, stirring frequently, or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the chickpeas and combine everything well.
- Place the pistachios, salt, cumin, and pepper into a food processor fitted with the S blade. Process for one full minute, or until the nuts are ground. Add the warm chickpea mixture, the parsley, and the spinach. Pulse repeatedly to combine everything and to chop up the greens. When the greens are chopped and evenly mixed into the falafel mixture, stop and scrape the sides of the bowl down. Add the lemon juice and chickpea flour. Pulse for another 20-30 seconds, or until the flour is evenly distributed into the falafel mix.
- Using clean hands, shape the mixture into 2-inch round balls. If the mixture is too sticky to shape, stir in another tablespoon of chickpea flour. However, the falafel balls will firm up considerably as they bake, so avoid adding more than 1 extra tablespoon flour.
- Place the falafel onto the baking sheet. Press them down gently with an open palm to flatten them slightly. Bake the falafel for 12-15 minutes, or until the top side is gently turning golden. Flip the falafel on the baking sheet and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until both sides are golden.
- Serve the falafel as desired, with any sauce and/or fresh herbs of choice.
Notes
Leftover falafel should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. They can be frozen for up to one month.