Air Fried Falafal Recipe – Bengal Gram Falafel

There are days and weeks when things don’t go right. I am going through one such week when the heart is bruised and the mind is trying it’s best to reset. But then life has its own way of helping you cope too.

Last weekend was an extended one and the first two days threw up a heck of rottenness on me. I was left with an immense emotional burden of blame, shame, hate and regret and the stress was intolerable. This was the worst emotional tempest that I endured in recent times and left me stranded at the crossroads of my own self-beliefs of humanity, friendship, and love. The sheer negativity of holding on to the hurt and stress started manifesting physically by Saturday evening. My chest was hurting and I was having a hard time coming to terms with everything around me.

Air Fried Falafal Recipe – Bengal Gram Falafel

On Sunday, we were supposed to go out of town to a friend’s place. And I almost made up my mind to cancel the trip. I woke up that morning and picked up my phone and found a message from her. She was enquiring about the availability of a certain ethnic garment in the Bay Area, something that is needed during funerals. She said that a friend of hers lost her husband. I immediately wrote back to her asking if everything was fine and who this friend was. She mentioned it was someone from her close circle of friends.

The man in question was 48 years old, a doctor by profession and had recently moved into their dream mansion along with his family. He is survived by a 15-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter. He was on his way to drop his son to school when his heart just decided to stop. In spite of valiant efforts to save him, he passed away within 30 minutes even before his wife could see him one last time.

I sat there numb, had no words and was left with nothing but guilt. I was amazed at how I could let something so trivial encompass and paralyze me with so much despair. My heart went out to the family coping with the loss of a husband, of a father and a son. Life is so fragile and yet we complicate it with things, which have no meaning probably even 24 hours down the line. I am so grateful for everything, even for the experiences that did not work for me. It left me with some valuable lessons for life. And honestly, for me, I am grateful for having a few people rooted firm and strong in my life. And those who are not there, they don’t matter. I am not going to carry any emotional baggage of hurt, regret and pain left behind by them. It is not worth it at all.

The rest of the extended weekend was a good one as we got to spend a night at our friend’s beautiful house. It was a lot of catching up and unrefined, unadulterated camaraderie that followed, the kind that rejuvenates you. And not to mention the lip smacking food she made for us.

Ok, I will cut to the chase and talk about the recipe now. These falafels were made by me sometime back. And unlike conventional ones, these use Bengal gram or Kala Chana, as we call them in Hindi. These are even more potent than Garbanzo beans when it comes to health benefits. They are high in protein and high in fiber, the killer combination that I am always chasing. The story of these falafels started with my anything-to-do-with-cooking phobic husband bringing home a bunch of parsley for cilantro. I did not want to waste it and hence these falafels became a reality.

Yes, they are not exactly fast and easy but if you’re looking for a fun, interactive and most importantly healthy meal, then try them. Oh yes, did I tell you these are air-fried? My Philips air fryer is probably the best piece of kitchen gadget that I own today as it lets me indulge without a whole lot of guilt. But you can always fry them too. I served them alongside store-bought pita bread and a tomato-pineapple salad, shredded lettuce, simple Guacamole, and Sriracha Tahini.

Along with Air Fried Falafal Recipe, You may also like the recipes below:

• Veggie Shikhampuri Kebabs
• Char-Broiled Chutney Fish Sliders
• Dahi aur Til Ke Seekh Kebab

Air Fried Falafal – Bengal Gram Falafel

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• Author: Somdatta
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 40
• Yield: 12

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Description

Try this Air Fried Falafel Recipe. A tad different from the traditional ones, these air fried Bengal gram falafels are healthier and just as delicious.

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Ingredients

For the Falafel

• Bengal Gram – 1 ½ cup
• Onion – 1/3 cup
• Garlic – 3 cloves
• Cumin – 1 tbsp
• Coriander – 1 tbsp
• Cayenne Pepper – To taste
• Black Pepper – ½ tsp
• Salt – To Taste
• Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp
• Tahini – ¼ cup
• Fresh Parsley – 1 cup
• Fresh Cilantro – ½ cup
• Gram Flour (Besan) – ½ cup
• Baking Powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Olive Oil – 2 tbsp
• Sesame Seeds – 2 tbsp

To Serve

Tahini Sauce

• Tahini – ½ cup
• Sriracha Sauce – 1 tbsp
• Lettuce – 1 cup, chopped

Pineapple Tomato Salad

• Pineapple chunks (bitesized) – ½ cup
• Red Onion – ½ cup, chopped
• Tomato – 1 large, chopped
• Cilantro – ¼ cup, chopped
• Lemon Juice – 11/2 tsp
• Salt – To Taste
• Sugar – To Taste

Guacamole

• Avocado – 1 large, peeled and mashed
• Lemon juice – 2 tsp
• Salt – To Taste
• Store Bought Pita Bread: 6

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Instructions

1. Soak the Bengal gram overnight.
2. In a food processor, throw in the all the ingredients of the falafel except the Besan or gram flour and the sesame seeds. Pulse until the mix is minced and has some texture and not completely smooth.
3. Mix in the besan. This will help to bind the dough.
4. Add the sesame seeds and mix in the dough.
5. Make golf sized balls of dough and keep on an oiled surface. I got about 12 of them.
6. Cook in the air-fryer for 15 minutes. I needed to cook the entire mix in two batches.
7. Serve alongside the pita, salads, lemon wedges and the guacamole.

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Notes

• You can also bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 15-20 mins on each side depending on the strength of your oven.
• Alternatively, you can fry them too.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6
• Calories: 353
• Sugar: 5
• Sodium: 479
• Fat: 12
• Saturated Fat: 2
• Unsaturated Fat: 9
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 54
• Protein: 9
• Cholesterol: 0

Keywords: Air Fried Falafel Recipe, Bengal Gram Falafal Recipe