There is something pretty remarkable about the humble garbanzo bean (chickpea), how something so tiny can be made into so many different delicacies.
Today we are talking about a personal favorite of mine: falafel. Falafel is a Middle Eastern delight that is becoming a global taste sensation and the staple of many vegetarians. This falafel recipe is full of gut healthy foods: garbanzo beans, which can help to heal your gut in as little as 7 days, parsley, a natural stomach soother, and cilantro, that delicious herb that give your guts a protective layer against harmful bacteria. Pair them with salad and hummus (just another way to eat these healthy beans) and you have yourself a low carb, paleo, and incredibly healthy meal.
Ingredients:Â
- 2 cups dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas. Prefer dried and then soaked, not canned! Especially if you have digestion issues with beans)
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped
- 8 garlic cloves
- 2 cups white onion, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Olive oil
Method:
- Soak garbanzo beans in water overnight, for at least 8 hours. It’s okay if you soak them longer, too, up to 24 hours. Drain and dry your beans as best you can.
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Put the cilantro, parsley, garlic, and onion in a large food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients (please, please make sure your beans are as dry as they can be!) and pulse lightly. You want your batter to be coarsely chopped - if you mix too long you risk going into hummus territory. If your dough is too wet, you can add a tbsp of gram flour at a time to the mix to help it stick together.
- Form your mix into balls - you can play around a bit here. You can make burger sized ones, meatballs, or smaller, coin shaped discs. All are delicious! Larger shapes will take a bit longer to cook.
- Lightly coat a frying pan with olive oil and sear the falafels lightly on both sides then pop them in the oven for 7-10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions:
I would recommend serving these with a huge salad with your favorite gluten-free wrap or pita, some hummus, or a drizzle of tahini dressing.