Chickpea Falafel

Ingredients

-1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

-1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

-1/2 cup chopped white onion

-4-7 small cloves garlic

-2 Tbsp oat flour or gluten free flour blend

-1 – 1 1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)

-2-3 tsp ground cumin

-1 pinch ground cardamom

-1 tsp ground coriander

-1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

-Grape seed or avocado oil for pan frying

Optional dipping sauces: plain Greek yogurt with ranch seasoning, tzatziki sauce or hummus

Directions

-Drain and rinse the chickpeas

-Add parsley, onion, and garlic to a food processor. Mix until well processed. Set aside.

-Add chickpeas to the food processor, along with gluten-free oat flour, salt, cumin, cardamom, coriander, and cayenne (optional). Mix to combine thoroughly, scraping down sides as needed. This may take up to 4-5 minutes to fully incorporate all of the spices and herbs. You’re looking for a near paste with only very small bits of chickpeas and herbs.

-Sample a small bit and adjust spices/salt/herbs as needed. Then cover and set in the refrigerator for 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld and the texture to become more firm.

-Once cooled, remove from refrigerator and scoop out 1 1/2 Tbsp amounts and gently form into small discs using your hands. If the falafel isn’t sticking together the mixture may need to be blended more thoroughly, or dusted with a bit more oat flour if too wet.

-Once your falafels are formed, heat a large metal or cast-iron skillet over medium/medium-high heat. Once hot, add enough oil to create a thin layer on the bottom of the pan and wait 1-2 minutes for the oil to heat up. Then place only as many falafel as will fit comfortably in the pan and cook 2-3 minutes on each side. Once the bottom side is browned, flip gently as they can be fragile. Continue until all falafel are cooked. Adjust heat as needed if they’re browning too quickly, or aren’t cooking quickly enough.

-Enjoy on own or with a side or in a salad.