4-5green onions, sliced--white bulb parts and green tops separated
2teaspoonground cumin
1tablespoonlemon juice
2tablespoonolive oil
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1tablespoonrice/oat/millet flour
1teaspoonbaking soda
1cupcooked millet(⅓ cup millet + ⅔ cup water simmered until all the water is gone)
1tablespoonsesame seeds, optional
Pickled Onions
½cupwhite wine vinegar
1cupwater
2-3tablespoonsmaple syrup
2teaspoonssea salt
1red onion, sliced into thin half moons
Sweet & Salty Rosemary Peanuts
1cupraw unsalted peanuts
1sprigrosemary
2tablespoonsmaple syrup
sea salt, to taste
Tahini Sauce
1clovegarlic, minced or grated on a rasp
1tablespoonlemon juice
1tablespoonmaple syrup
2tablespoonsolive oil
¼ - ⅓cupwater(depending on how thick/thin you want it)
¼cuptahini
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2sprigsdill, chopped
Instructions
For the falafel
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
In a food processor combine the chickpeas, garlic, chopped cooking onion, the chopped whites of the green onions, ground cumin, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pulse until you have a chunky paste and there are hardly any whole chickpeas left. Add the flour and baking soda and pulse a couple more times to combine. You should have a wet and chunky paste. Scrape this into a large bowl. To this, add the cooked millet, sesame seeds, and sliced green onion tops. Fold it all together to combine.
Form falafels with your hands by grabbing about 2 tbsp of chickpea mixture at a time. Gently roll it into a football-ish shape and place it on the parchment lined pan. repeat with remaining chickpea mixture. Once you're done, slide the tray into the oven and bake falafels for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and slightly firm to the touch. Serve falafels in a pita, big lettuce leaf, or on top of a salad with any of the accompaniments
For the pickled onions
Combine everything but the sliced onion in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. While it's heating up, pack the sliced onions into a clean jar. Pour the vinegar mixture over the onions and allow it to sit at room temp, uncovered, for an hour or so. Put the lid on and refrigerate onions until ready to use. These will keep for a few weeks (but they probably won't last that long).
For the rosemary peanuts
Toss all of the ingredients together and spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake them in a 350°F oven until they've browned slightly and dried up a bit, about 7-10 minutes.
For the tahini sauce
Shake up all of the ingredients in a tightly sealed jar. Check it for seasoning, adjust and store in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
Equipment
Food Processor
Recipe Notes
I feel like quinoa or any other small, fluffy and spherical grain could work in place of the millet. Just make sure that all of the water is cooked out and the grain is as dry as possible when you go to mix it with the chickpea base.
As always, garlic, cumin and any other spices can be added or subtracted to your liking.
Spring onion falafel-style balls are made with millet and a few other twists. Naturally gluten-free, vegan, and super hearty.