Baked Falafel with Cucumber Sauce

With the growing popularity of food trucks in New York City, many have taken it upon themselves to dabble in the diverse cuisines now available. From waffles to Korean BBQ, there doesn't seem to be anything these trucks won't whip up. However, before the advent of the trendy food truck, food carts stuck to the basics of halal and hot dogs and many hungry midtowners have not turned their backs on these staples. This is where my enthusiastic colleagues come in.

I was once told that you can say anything you want as long as you follow it with "bless her soul", so to my colleagues that regularly bring the distinct smell of "street meat" into the office, bless their souls. To be quite honest, I don't mind the smells so much anymore and frequently enjoy hearing "I am the King of Rafiqi's" (a popular food cart) shouted across the office. And while I do not partake in these food truck/cart lunches, I do still appreciate the types of food they serve...on my own terms.

I'm not sure when exactly it was that I discovered my love of Mediterranean food, but I have come to savor the intensely flavorful dishes of the cuisine. As these discoveries tend to go, when I love a food, I want to learn how to make it myself, so a little over a year ago, I found a falafel recipe that is so phenomenal, I now think my homemade version tastes better than many restaurants! Call me a falafel snob, but it is what it is. This particular recipe combines very healthy amounts of spices to create a savory, delightful end result and the added bonus - I actually know what is going into the mixture. The double bonus, they are baked, rather than fried, so I like to think they maintain a high level of nutritional value.

I have made this recipe a few times now, and after an incident with my blender breaking down the last time, I decided to take full advantage of my mom's functional food processor while home for Thanksgiving to make it once again. (Attempting to get parsley, onion, and garlic into a "puree" form with a knife proved to be a time-consuming and dismal task).

One other potentially problematic step is mashing the chickpeas by hand. A fork or potato masher are your best bet for this operation. Though I have never actually tried, I imagine really tough-to-mash chickpeas could be soaked in warm water for a while to help soften them up.
I did make a few adjustments from the original recipe, including replacing the bread crumbs with a healthier option. I have tried the recipe with both FiberOne bran cereal and most recently Kavli Crispbread, both of which I like, but can change the flavor very subtly. Considering I am the main consumer of my creations, I'm willing to experiment and do enjoy the healthy swap. I also nixed the mayonnaise from the cucumber sauce, because it is plenty tasty without it.

When all is said and done, these falafel, in addition to tasting great with just the cucumber sauce, make great pita sandwiches (+ baby spinach and feta cheese) or they also work well in salads.

The recipe:
(Adapted from Sean's Falafel)

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed under cold water
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 egg
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup dry bread crumbs/healthy substitute

Cucumber Sauce:
1 (6 ounce) container plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber - peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste


In a large bowl mash chickpeas until thick and pasty; don't use a blender, as the consistency will be too thin.

In a blender or food processor, process onion, parsley and garlic until smooth. Stir into mashed chickpeas.

In a small bowl combine egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and baking powder. Stir into chickpea mixture along with olive oil.

Slowly add bread crumbs until mixture is not sticky but will hold together; add more or less bread crumbs, as needed.

Form falafel balls - I made each about 1 inch, but this is up to you. Spray a foil lined cookie sheet with cooking spray and place the falafel balls on the tray. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, turn the tray 180 degrees and bake for another 5-10, until the falafel balls are browned on the surface.

In a small bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, salt and pepper. Chill before serving.