“Are falafels gluten-free?”

It was a good question. I had no idea. To be honest, falafels were one of those foods I’ve wanted to try for a while but I’ve never gotten while out because I’ve heard conflicting answers on whether it’s gluten-free or not.

Well, sadly they probably aren’t. Most of the recipes I’ve found online use flour as a binder, and if they’re fried in oil that’s also used for chicken fingers or other breaded items that would make them contaminated. The good thing I learned is that they’re incredibly easy to make gluten-free. I was considering making them with chickpea flour for a while and when I heard that reader Carolyn has had success with that, too, I felt good enough to try it out.

All you really need to make these are a food processor and an oven. I didn’t fry them mostly because that’s messy and I don’t like cleaning surfaces, you know? Also, they end up healthier this way—double plus.

I didn’t know what a falafel was supposed to taste like when I first ate a bite so I wasn’t sure how I’d know if it was a “good falafel”. Well, I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I think the fact that I went back to finish it off at 10pm when I’m usually not a savory person at all says something. I started off with this recipe and went from there. I would gladly make these again and maybe finish them off with a little oil in a pan to give them a brown crust.

Gluten-Free Baked Falafel

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 6 falafels):

• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons oregano, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 2-3 Tablespoons chickpea flour

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a food processor, blend the onion, garlic and olive oil until the garlic and onion are minced.
3. Add in the chickpeas and lemon and blend until the chickpeas are pureed.
4. Add in the parsley, oregano, salt, cumin, and coriander and continue blending to incorporate them in.
5. Add the chickpea flour in a tablespoon at a time until the dough thickens enough that it can be shaped and won’t stick to your hands or a utensil.
6. Form 6 or 7 balls of dough and place them on a lined baking tray. You can flatten them into patties if desired.
7. Bake for 40 minutes until the outside starts to brown turning them halfway through.
8. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Another good question: Is falafel the singular or the plural? or both?

The term “veggie burgers” have become an oxymoron these days; veggie burgers have just about everything but vegetables in them. Soy protein, artificial flavors, and wheat gluten—yes. But veggies? Nope. They hardly live up to the health halo surrounding them.

The best thing you can do is make your own. It’s cheaper, healthier, and the possibilities for ingredients are endless. The first time I made these was a complete accident of stir-fry gone wrong. I ended up liking them so much that I made them again. The brown rice makes these filling while the vegetables add a fresh crunch—way better than anything you’ll find in the freezer aisle. 

You can get fresh stir-fry vegetables in a package in the produce department, but I like getting the frozen vegetable packs which are usually cheaper and stay fresh until you use them.

Asian Stir-Fry Rice And Veggie Burgers

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 10 burgers):

• 2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup stir-fry vegetables, steamed
• 2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 X-large or 3 medium eggs

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients until the eggs are well beaten and incorporated.
3. Line or grease a baking tray. With a large utensil, make dense patties on the tray with about 1/3 cup of rice mixture roughly an inch apart from one another.
4. Bake for 25 minutes on one side, flip, and bake for another 25 minutes. The patties should be cooked enough after 25 minutes that they hold together when you flip them to cook the other side.
5. Remove from the oven and let the patties cool. When ready to eat, heat them up in a microwave, pan, or on a grill. You can freeze extra patties to thaw later.

Since these have an untraditional flavor to begin with, I’d recommend getting untraditional with the condiments, too. Pineapple relish and kimchi, anyone?