Baked Falafel with Tzatziki and Flatbread

Once again I have cooked a recipe from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice, you could say Reeni and I like the same foods. She is always winning me over with her fab recipes and presentation.

Problem is that when I looked at her gorgeous falafel so crusty and golden (do check them out) it didn't occur to me they were fried! I try to avoid frying foods, partially because hot oil scares me and partially because I am trying to be reasonably healthy. 

So I decided to bake them with no oil at all, and you know what, they were delicious. Maybe not so golden but they were crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

To make the falafel you puree soaked chickpeas with onion, coriander (or parsley), cumin, coriander, garlic, a little flour, cayenne pepper, salt and lemon juice. Shape them into balls and place on a lined baking tray. I baked at 180C for 15 minutes then turned over and baked for another 15 minutes.

I served them with Tzatziki (drained yoghurt and cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, salt), some crispy lettuce and freshly cooked flatbreads.  The flatbreads worked perfectly and were really delicious.

I really enjoyed this meal last night. The falafels were so tasty and had the crumbly texture that requires the tzatziki to bring it all together. This one will definitely be cooked again.