Falafel Gluten-Free Vegan Bites

INGREDIENTS (makes 10-12)

• 1 1/2 cups dry chickpeas
• 1/2 cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup  chopped  onion
• 7 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp gluten-free flour blend
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 Tbsp. Garlic Salt
• optional: Pinch cayenne pepper
• Olive oil for pan frying

DIRECTIONS

Rinse (uncooked) chickpeas.  Cover with 2 inches water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 1 minute. Then cover, remove from heat, and let cool.   Drain and rinse and dry thoroughly.

In the meantime, add cilantro, onion, and garlic to a food processor. Mix until well processed. Set aside.

Once the chickpeas are slightly cooled and dried, add chickpeas to the food processor along with ALL the other ingredients. Mix to combine thoroughly, scraping down sides as needed.  You’re looking for a near paste with only very small bits of chickpeas and herbs

Sample a small bit and adjust spices/salt/herbs as needed. Then cover and set in the refrigerator for 20 min to allow the flavors to meld and the texture to become more firm.

Once cooled, remove from refrigerator and scoop out with a scooper or large spoon and mold into disk balls.

Once your falafels are formed, heat a large metal or cast-iron skillet over medium/ medium-high heat. Once hot, add enough oil to create a thin layer on the bottom of the pan and wait 1-2 minutes for the oil to heat up. Then place only as many falafels as will fit comfortably in the pan and cook 2-3 minutes on each side. Once the bottom side is browned, flip gently as they can be fragile. Continue until all falafel are cooked. Adjust heat as needed if they’re browning too quickly, or aren’t cooking quickly enough.

Enjoy on sprouted rice or a green salad or just by themselves.