15 Minute Falafel with Garden Greens: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

I have stumbled on deliciously simply way to feed greens and chickpeas to my young children - home made falafel. These falafel taste so so much better than the dehydrated pre-packaged box mix that the kids disliked so much when we tried it a few years back (and for good reason).

I've been exploring a range of different recipes again lately since it was recommended that my daughter avoid wheat, eggs, corn and dairy. These are perfect.

Home made falafel with garden greens - so yummy with home made hummus or a herby tomato dipping sauce.

These are rapidly becoming a lunchbox favourite (for all the kids) with some organic brown rice and a homemade tomato sauce. I can pack all sorts of garden greens and herbs inside. So fresh, healthy and super yummy.

Great handfuls of diverse fresh greens get chopped into the mix.

There are a lot of different ways to make them and I have been having fun experimenting - with fresh chick peas, with chick pea flour, with tahini and without, with various greens, herbs and spices.

I love this recipe when I look in the pantry and the supplies are low. If there are some chick peas, some greens and a fresh lemon in the garden and a few herbs and spices, it'll come together nicely.

This particular recipe is the super simple quick method using besan flour and has been the given thumbs up by all the kids.

QUICK AND EASY HOME MADE FALAFEL RECIPE

Preparation: 5 minutes  (+10mins sitting)
Cooking: 10 minutes
Easy
Makes about 20 small falafel balls

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups chick pea flour
• handful of fresh greens  (I use a mix of whatever is looking lovely in the garden that day - parsley, rocket, coriander, kale, mustard spinach, hibiscus spinach, sorrell....)
• 1/2 tsp bicarb/baking soda
• 1/2 tsp good salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 large garlic clove
• Juice of 1 lemon (we have also used lime)
• 2/3 cup warm/hot water

Fresh herbs and lemon from the garden add such great flavour, and of course nutritional value to the falafel.

METHOD

Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. (I sometimes use a food processor and pack in lots more greens - until the whole mix is bright green!)

Let the mix sit for about 10 minutes - helps to firm it up a bit.

Shape the balls/discs (I sometimes roll them in sesame seeds).

Cook 

• you could try them baked (220 C for 15 mins or until golden brown)
• they are yummy fried in a small amount of olive oil (this is one of the only things I do fry)
• or simple too is cooking them on a sandwich press with or without the olive oil

The mix is firm - good for rolling the balls without sticking too much to your hands.