Baked, not fried, falafel with hemp hearts mixed into the batter. They hold together better than traditional falafel and need less oil. The herbs are the flavour; do not skimp.
Hemp Hearts Falafel
Yields 16 falafel. Prep 20 minutes (plus overnight soak for dried chickpeas). Bake 25 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, drained (do not use canned for this recipe)
- 1/2 cup hemp hearts
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup packed fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons chickpea flour (or all-purpose)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (for brushing)
Method
- Heat oven to 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Pulse onion, garlic, and herbs in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Add chickpeas, hemp hearts, spices, salt, and chickpea flour. Pulse to a coarse meal; the mixture should hold together when squeezed. Do not over-process to a paste.
- Stir in baking powder. Let mixture rest 15 minutes.
- Form into 16 balls (golf-ball sized) or flat patties. Place on baking sheet. Brush all sides with olive oil.
- Bake 12 minutes. Flip. Bake 12-15 more minutes until deeply golden.
Serving
In warm pita with tahini sauce, pickled vegetables, sliced tomato, and shredded lettuce. Or over a salad bowl with hemp tahini dressing.
Storage
Cooked falafel refrigerates 4 days; reheats well in an air fryer or oven. The raw mixture freezes; thaw before forming and baking.