Falafel Nuggets

Ingredients

Oil, vegetable2½ ounces
Onion, Spanish1 pound
Celery, chopped¼-inch pieces2 cups
Parsley leave, fresh4 ounces
Chickpeas, canned#10 cans, rinsed and drained2 each
Eggs, large5 each
Lemon juice3 ounces
Soy sauce, low-sodium¼ cup
Flour, enriched, all-purpose14 ounces
Baking powder1 ounces
Coriander, ground1 ounce
Cumin, ground1 ounce
Garlic powder½ ounce
Onion powder½ ounce
Salt, kosher1 ounce
Pepper, black, ground½ ounce

Instructions

  1. Preheat convection oven to 350° F. Grease 3 full sheet pans with 1⁄4 cup oil each.
  2. Trim and peel onion. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
  3. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to melt into the oil, about 30 minutes. Add celery; increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery is softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
  4. Pulse parsley in a food processor fitted with a steel blade until finely chopped. Add to the vegetable mixture.
  5. Working in batches of 4 to 6 cups, pulse chickpeas in the food processor until coarsely chopped (6 to 8 pulses per batch). Add to the vegetables.
  6. Whisk eggs, lemon juice and soy sauce in a small bowl.
  7. Add flour, baking powder, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to the chickpea mixture. Stir to thoroughly combine.  Add the egg mixture and stir to combine. (Mixture will be the consistency of a thick dough.)
  8. Using a #30 scoop, place balls of falafel onto the prepared sheet pans. Bake until the bottoms are browned and crisp, 18 to 20 minutes. Flip the falafel and flatten with the back of a 2-oz spoodle. Bake until browned and crisp on the other side, 10 to 12 minutes more. Hold in a warming box for up to 2 hours before serving.

Recipe Notes

Recipe HACCP Process: #2 Same Day Service 

• Serve with applesauce, Ranch dressing, applesauce spiced with garam masala, chutney or ketchup.

• The back of a red handled, 2-oz spoodle works great for flattening the nuggets out, as the final diameter should be about as big as the spoodle bottom.

• You will know it’s time to flip and flatten the nuggets when they easily pull away from the sheet pan. If you try to move them and they still seem stuck, put them back in the oven for another 1 to 2 minutes and then try again.

• You can use other vegetables, such as cabbage and cauliflower, in the recipe too. Just cook until tender before processing and adding to the chickpeas.

Yield 50 servings Serving Size: 3 pieces