Curried Carrot Baked Falafel
These Curried Carrot Baked Falafel are a healthy, super easy to make twist on traditional falafel. They are oil & gluten-free & packed with flavour. Serve them as part of a hearty plant-based meal, eat them as snacks, or pop them in packed lunches!
Servings: 20 falafel
Calories: 33kcal
Ingredients
- 250 - 300 g | 3 large carrots
- 1 medium onion
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 100 g | 1 cup chickpea flour sometimes called besan or gram flour. A garbanzo fava bean blend flour works well too.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 big handful or ½ cup fresh cilantro , or parsley or carrot tops , chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds or ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds or ¼ teaspoon ground fennel
- around 60mls | ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
The curry powder is essential and the other spices are recommended but can be omitted if you don't have them.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Grate the onion and the carrot. The grater attachment on a food processor does this job quickly and easily.
- In a large bowl add the onion, carrot and garlic and mix well.
- Add everything else except the water and stir together really well making sure all the spices are distributed well then add the water gradually, stirring as you go. You might not need it all. You should have a really thick batter that is sticky but that can be squeezed together in your hands.
- Roll into tight walnut sized balls and place on the prepared baking tray then bake for 25-30 minutes until firm to the touch and just starting to turn golden.
Notes
I use a combination of many different spices to give maximum flavour but these are totally customizable. The blend listed in the recipe is how I like my falafel, using what I regularly have in my pantry but in this recipe you have complete control. If you don’t have one of the spices or if there is one you don’t care for, omit it. You can use something else instead or not. They are good with just the curry powder and none of the other spices if that is all you have. Sometimes I add cilantro, sometimes I add parsley and sometimes I use the finely chopped green carrot tops. Play around with what you like best. A long as you keep the carrot, onion, chickpea flour, flax seed and water at the same ratio the falafel will work.
Leftover falafel freeze well. Allow to defrost then either read cold or warm through in a medium oven until piping hot.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ball | Calories: 33kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 70mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1.5g | Vitamin A: 2350IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.5mg