Enjoy these spice-filled crispy balls of Middle Eastern heaven, sans gluten, with this gluten-free falafel recipe. This is an easy recipe filled with clean and savory ingredients, and it tastes best when served with gluten-free pita, hummus and my Cauliflower Tabbouleh (see recipe).
Soak 1 cup of chickpeas overnight or for about 10 hours in water. Alternatively, you can speed up the process by boiling a pot of water, adding 1 cup of dried chickpeas to the water, cover, turn off the heat, and allow the chickpeas to "hydrate" for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.
Add all ingredients (except oil) to your food processor and pulse until well blended but not pureed, about 50-60 pulses.
Form the mixture into 26 two-inch-sized balls. Slightly flatten each ball and set aside.
Add oil to a large skillet pan until it's about 1/4 inch deep. Heat oil over medium-high heat until it's shimmering hot but not smoking. You can test the oil by putting a small piece of the falafel mixture into the oil. When the mixture sizzles in the oil, the oil is ready. Working in batches, fry the falafels until golden brown on each side, flipping them after about 30-60 seconds. Watch them carefully as they cook up quickly.
Place each cooked falafel on a paper towel lined plate and serve immediately.
Notes
I don't recommend using canned chickpeas, however, if you do, please note that you'll need about 2 cups of canned chickpeas, which is equivalent to 1 cup of dried chickpeas. Be sure to rinse your canned chickpeas.I use Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour (in the red bag) for this recipe because it's made from a combination of garbanzo beans and fava beans and adds good flavor to the recipe.You must add xanthan gum to help hold it all together. A little goes a long way. If your flour already contains xanthan gum, do not add extra.The falafels are best served immediately, however, if you make them ahead of time, place them on a cooling rack placed on top of your baking sheet and keep them warm in your oven until serving. Check if your oven has a "warm and crisp" setting as well.Serve with hummus, gluten-free pita bread and my Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad.