Everyone likes a falafel but some are better than others. I found this recipe on a friends website, Chickpeas and Charcoal. Kelly has always been a master of some excellent recipes and has been very prominent on the BBQ scene. She took a bold move and turned Vegan and has carried on publishing some great recipes.
Traditionally the falafel are deep fried to give them the crispy outer. Here they are rolled in sesame seeds and then baked on the Big Green Egg. If you wanted them even crispier you could toast the sesame seeds before you roll the falafel in them.
Cooking surfaces
BBQ Temperature
Ingredients
- 1 tin of chickpeas, drained
- 1/3 of a red onion, chopped
- 1/2 heaped tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 heaped tsp ground coriander
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 large red chilli, deseeded and chopped
- 4 dried apricots, chopped
- Zest of a lemon
- 1 handful of chopped coriander
- 1 handful of chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 tsp tahini
- 1 tsp Maldon salt
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
Method
- Put all the ingredients into your food processor or Thermomix with the exception of the sesame seeds.
- Blend them together, I like to leave my mix slightly coarse.
- Take the mixture and shape into a ball and then squash down. Quarter this and then cut each quarter into 3 pieces.
- Roll each of the 12 pieces into a ball and then roll on the sesame seeds on a plate.
- Setup your Egg to 200°C in and indirect setup with the stainless grid on top of the plate setter (feet up) and the baking stone on top of both.
- Give your surfaces time to heat up.
- Now bake your falafel for 20 minutes.
- Once baked take them out and allow them to cool, they will firm up as they cool
Notes
I use a tahini from a local asian shop. I find the Cypressa brand tahini in most supermarkets far too bitter. The one I use is much runnier.
I like these with my smoked aubergine and tahini dip.
Don’t worry about some of the sesame seeds falling on your plate setter and burning, they will add a little extra smokey flavour.