Falafel Burgers

I love falafels! They are a veggie foodie's delight when it comes to the Arabic style vegetable sandwiches or wraps. Falafels are quite easy to make but they need to be deep fried which make them crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. So I have never really ventured into making these until I saw recipes for baked falafels :)

Sounded good to me and now this is what I like to make once in a while, if not everyday. I must say that fried falafels have a better texture and crunch most definitely! But these baked ones are quite good as well - bit dry and crumbly maybe but that can be compensated for by adding extra tahini sauce. Very simple to make especially if you have a food processor. The mixture stays good in the fridge for about 3 days so you can just form them into patties and bake them every time you need to make a wrap.

Falafel Burger: Recipe

Ingredients:

• Chickpeas - 200 gm, presoaked over night, cooked under pressure till very soft and drained.
• Onion - 1 small, finely chopped
• Parsley - handful finely chopped (you can add more if you like)
• Garlic - 1 clove chopped
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil or vegetable oil - as required

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 250 deg C, on grill setting.
• In a food processor or blender, combine all the above ingredients till you get a crumbly mixture.
• Scoop up handfuls of the mixture and shape them into medium sized burger patties.
• Line a baking tray with baking paper or aluminum foil and lay down the burgers.
• Using a pastry brush or your hand, spread some oil on the top and bottom surfaces of the patties.
• Bake it for about 15 to 20 mins till the surface is browned and crisp. Make sure you don't leave it for long as that will cause the burgers to be extremely dry and crumbly.
• Once done, fill a pitta bread with a salad or salsa of you choice, drizzle tahini sauce generously and place the burgers. A scrumptious filling wrap is ready!