Air Fried Vegan Chickpea Falafel Platter

 

I love falafel in any form. Stuffed in a pita bread or on top of a salad or as is, dipped in tzatziki sauce. If served on a platter or a board, it is an attractive good grazing food for a family gathering. 

Try the easy recipe below. With the help of an air fryer this becomes a healthy version. No oil frying at all and yet crunchy on outside and soft in the inside. 

Air Fried Vegan Chickpeas Falafel

Adapted from this site and this site and this blog post

• 1-14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 clove garlic, cut coarsely
• 1\4 cup cilantro leaves and stems, coarsely chopped
• 1\4 cup flour or as needed
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1\8 tsp black pepper
• 1\4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1\4 tsp salt or more to taste
• Panko crumbs (optional)

Place the chickpeas, onion, garlic and cilantro in the food processor and pulse till ingredients are blended. 

Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixture in the food processor except the panko crumbs. Pulse till mixture is blended and smooth but not too pasty. 

Using a small ice cream scoop make about 12-14 one inch balls from the seasoned chickpea mixture and roll if you choose to, in panko crumbs.

Air fry 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes.

You can serve this as is with vegan tzatziki sauce. You can also stuff it into a pita bread with lettuce, tomato and cucumber. 

You can also prepare a platter as shown above with tzatziki sauce, tomato, olives, greens and pita bread.