Baked Falafels

Falafels are delicious, especially when served in warm pita bread with Israeli Salad, hummus, and/or tzatiki

Frying foods is not my thing however, so I usually buy premade falafel balls and heat them up in the microwave (sounds weird, but it's awesome)...I decided to try and make my own.  It was a little tricky, even with my huge food processor, but it was fun to try.  I think I prefer store bought falafels--Far East has a great dry mix.

1 onion, chopped

2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked 18-24 hours

1 large handful chopped fresh parsley

2 large handfuls chopped cilantro

3 cloves garlic, smashed

2 tbsp ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Soak dried chickpeas 18-24 hours, covered, in 4 cups of water
2. Preheat oven to 375F
3. Drain and rinse chickpeas and combine all ingredients except flour in a food processor
4. Pulse until smooth and well-combined, then add flour and pulse 3-4 more times
5. Spray foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray.
6. Shape into large, round tablespoonfuls and place on baking sheet
7.  2 options- bake for 15-20 minutes, or until dry and a bit firm to the touch (will firm up more as they cool)  OR  add olive oil to oven proof skillet, lightly saute until golden brown (3-5 minutes), then transfer pan to oven and continue cooking 10-15 more minutes