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Healthy family recipe: Oven baked falafel patties

Introduce your family to new foods with this easy falafel recipe made from mashed chickpeas.

    by Liz Coover, RD, LDN, clinical dietitian, Healthy Weight Program at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
    Published 

Introduce your family to new foods with this easy falafel recipe made from mashed chickpeas. Traditionally, falafel is fried which can add extra unhealthy fats and calories to your meal. In this version, we use a mix of flavorful herbs and spices, along with plenty of lemon juice to enhance taste. The patties are then baked in the oven, not fried. This is a quick meal perfect for busy weeknights and can be served with a simple green salad and a drizzle of plain yogurt or dressing.

Oven Baked Falafel Patties

Ingredients:

  1. Non-stick cooking spray

  2. 1 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas, no salt added

  3. ½ medium onion (white or yellow), minced

  4. 4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

  5. 1 large egg

  6. 4 cloves garlic, minced

  7. 2 teaspoons of ground cumin

  8. 1 teaspoon of ground coriander

  9. ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

  10. 1 ½ tablespoons of dried parsley

  11. ¼ teaspoon of salt

  12. ¼ teaspoon of black pepper

  13. ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a small baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place into a large mixing bowl. Mash the chickpeas with a large fork until soft and all large pieces are broken up.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the onion, lemon juice, egg, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, parsley, salt, and black pepper together until well combined.

4. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the chickpeas. Add the breadcrumbs and stir well to make sure all the ingredients are mixed evenly.

5. Using about ¼ cup of the mixture, form a small falafel ball with your hands and smash slightly to make a "patty". Place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the mixture until you have 12 falafel patties.

6. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Flip the patties over using a spatula and bake for another 10 minutes until internal temperature reads 165 degrees with a food thermometer.

Serving size: 3 patties    (makes 4 servings)

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