felafel

Fabulous Gluten-Free Felafels

    • Prep Time
    • Minutes
    • Cook Time
    • Minutes

Felafels are a Middle Eastern snack/meal made of chickpeas (garbanzo beans).  Even though they are fried, they absorb very little oil so they are fairly low calorie.  The chickpea is a bean that is very high in protein, and it is one of the earliest cultivated legumes.  Remains of chickpeas that are older than 7,000 years have been found in the Middle East.  And with good reason!  Not only are chickpeas high in protein, but they also contain calcium and have a surprising amount of iron.  Combined with a tahini sauce (made from sesame seeds), their nutritional value increases even further.

Felafels are naturally gluten-free, which is how I try to eat. I live on a small homestead in Maine on an island off the coast. There I raise chickens and grow a large garden. I try to eat gluten-free because it makes me feel awesome! It just so happens that felafels are naturally gluten-free. You can see my full recipe at. At Melanie’s Homestead, you’ll find all kinds of articles on gluten-free eating as well as homesteading. Also, please visit my Facebook page for more of the same.

Recipe Rating

  • (2 Rating)

Ingredients

  • FELAFELS: 2 cups of dried chickpeas soaked in water for 24 hours
  • 1 onion
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 cup of fresh cilantro
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbs salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • oil for frying
  • TAHINI SAUCE: 1 cup of sesame tahini (roasted if you can find it)
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1/2 cup of lemon juice
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 tsp of salt

Instructions

  • 1. For Felafels: Soak the beans for a full 24 hours in plenty of water. Mince the onion and garlic in a food processor, then add the drained chickpeas and process again. Add the remainder of the ingredients (except the oil) and process until you have a pale green paste. It should still be grainy--tiny grains. You may have to scrape the food processor down a few times with a spatula and continue processing until you get a nice grainy paste. If you're doing the full recipe, you'll need a large food processor or you'll have to divide all the ingredients in half and do it in two batches. Refrigerate the paste for 45 minutes to firm it up. Shape into small patties about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch tall. Refrigerate again for 15 minutes to firm up. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a pan to 350 degrees. Gently slide the patties into the oil and fry until medium-brown in color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gently turn over with thongs and fry the other side. Drain on paper towels and serve with vegetables and tahini sauce. For Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Instructions

  • 1. For Felafels: Soak the beans for a full 24 hours in plenty of water. Mince the onion and garlic in a food processor, then add the drained chickpeas and process again. Add the remainder of the ingredients (except the oil) and process until you have a pale green paste. It should still be grainy--tiny grains. You may have to scrape the food processor down a few times with a spatula and continue processing until you get a nice grainy paste. If you're doing the full recipe, you'll need a large food processor or you'll have to divide all the ingredients in half and do it in two batches. Refrigerate the paste for 45 minutes to firm it up. Shape into small patties about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch tall. Refrigerate again for 15 minutes to firm up. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a pan to 350 degrees. Gently slide the patties into the oil and fry until medium-brown in color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gently turn over with thongs and fry the other side. Drain on paper towels and serve with vegetables and tahini sauce. For Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

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felafel
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About Chef

Melanies Recipe Gluten Free

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